And Then There Were Two
by TheWritersMind
Summary: The end was coming, Ozpin knew this. That is why he has Qrow searching for information. But what if Qrow found something else, or rather, someone else. And what if Qrow directed them to beacon, believing they could help. Find out what happens when Ozpin hires an unusual mercenary to do an odd job. (Starts in Volume 1, will mostly follow canon, but will have twists.)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt

 **Disclaimer- I do not own RWBY, that honor goes to Rooster Teeth. I just made the OC.**

 **Also, shoutout to whoever made the story image for inspiring me to make this.**

Vale

'It's a beautiful place to be. Not my favorite place, but still not as bad as Vacuo or Atlas. Not that I've actually been there, but from the people and pictures i've seen, they are not the most hospitable places to be.'

These are the thoughts currently going through a black cloaked figure's mind right now. The figure moved unseen through the street, passing civilians without attracting even a glance. Of course, they wouldn't see the figure even if they did glance. Not being seen is an important skill few realize. It allows one to get away with things others could not. As the figure moved like a shadow down the street, the number of people in the area drastically dropped. There was no time to ponder this as the reason for it was in plain sight. In front of a shop, appropriately named Dusk Till Dawn, was what could be described as a one-sided battle.

A red figure, obviously female, weaved through a group of thugs with practised grace. Her speed reminded the shadowy figure of itself, although significantly less refined. Of course, this didn't matter as each thug was taken down with one hit. The red girl, after dispatching the last thug landed just in front of a man with orange hair and a cane.

"You were worth every cent. Truly you were." muttered the man in a disappointed tone. He stepped forward, removing the cigar from his mouth and stubbed it out with his cane. "Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around…" he raised his cane, pointing it at the red girl like a gun. "I'm afraid THIS is where we part ways." He fired at the red girl.

The girl used the recoil from her scythe, a SCYTHE, to move out of the way before she was hit. The figure gained a look of curiosity. It had only seen one other scythe wielder before, and that was back in Mistral. By this time, the man who had fired was already half-way up the ladder. The Red girl saw him climb onto the roof and followed, using her weapons recoil as propellant. She was not going to let someone like him get away so easily.

The shadowy figure just watched, amused, and very curious. It slowly, at its own pace, slithered up the wall, as if it was ignoring gravity. As it neared the top, an explosion rang out, along with the roar of engines. It paused momentarily, wondering what it would see, before sliding over the edge of the roof.

What it saw was nothing short of amazing. Ice raining from the sky, fire bursting from the ground. It was certainly a spectacle. There was another girl now, or rather, another woman. As a bullhead, no doubt the source of the engine noise, flew away, the figure realized something. Small black and purple cape, blond hair, glasses, and a riding crop. This was not who it was looking for, but she could lead it to the person it was after.

"Your a Huntress…" the red girl spoke to the other woman with a tone of reverence. "Can I Have Your Autograph!" she pleaded with her silver eyes wide and-

Silver

This caused the figure to freeze. It was also the first time it got a proper look at the girl. Young, no older than 15. Black hair, tinted red towards the tips, and incredibly pale skin. This girl had many features in common with the shadow, but those eyes were what stood out the most. Silver, brimming with untapped power. Those eyes so much like its own. The blond woman grabbed the younger girl and dragged her away. Not wanted to lose them, the figure merged with their shadow, silently following them.

 _Later_

"I hope you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady." the blond woman curtly scolded. "You put yourself and others in great danger" the woman continued. "They started it!" the red one replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If it was up to me, you would be sent home with pat on the back…" the blond woman droned. At those words the red girls world looked so much brighter, only to come crashing down with the blonde's next words.

"...and a slap on the wrist" she said, before smacking her riding crop on the table in front of the young girl. The girl let out a small shriek of fear before the blond sighed. "But… there is someone here who would like to meet you." she said before moving over to allow…

There he was, the man described to the figure, right here. 'So, this is who he was talking about.' thought the figure. The man walked toward red, cookies and milk in hand, before greeting the girl. And what he said caused the figures eyes to widen in surprise.

"Ruby Rose" he greeted

 _Rose_

The shadow lost itself in thought, trying to put the pieces together. It continued to do so until a certain word brought it back to reality.

"-Qrow!" said the red girl, Ruby. "He's a teacher at signal!" The figure was once again lost in thoughts, only this time, the pieces were already together.

 _An Unknown Time Ago_

"Huuuh, I need a drink…" sighed a man currently removing his scythe from the back of a ursa. Said man had black/grey hair and wore a black and white dress shirt with the top buttons undone and a tattered red cape flowing behind him. He also had a light stubble along his jaw and had startling red eyes. The man had spent the last few hours slaughtering grimm and was ready for sleep. He wouldn't have minded so much if he hadn't ran out of booze awhile ago. He was far from home, but that was not a huge issue, he was always away. The issue was that he was in a despicable swampland west of Mistral. (Anybody see where this is going?)

The man kept trekking through the swamp until he came upon a small village he was looking for. "Heh, lets see what we can find." He continued inward, hoping to find a Inn where he could stay the night. As he walked the streets, the low-lifes nearby leered at him, but otherwise did nothing to impede his progress. They knew better than to mug a huntsman, especially one on a mission.

The man appeared to shake slightly, as if a shiver was crawling down his back. Or more likely, his instincts were telling him all was not well. He could not discern anything amiss, but remained tense and cautiously walked toward what looked like an inn. Even though his instincts told him to leave, he had to move forward, he needed information. And what better place to get information from than a bartender in a shady inn.

As he entered the inn, the smell of cheap booze and other indescribable odors assaulted his nostrils. He also noted that the place was crawling with more low-lifes, thugs, and even a few mercenary huntsman. They most likely were contracted by less than respectable people for less than respectable jobs.

His instincts flared, bigger than ever, and he scanned the room, trying to find the source. That's when he saw it. It was too late though. He slumped to the ground in defeat, slowly gazing up to look at the victor. She had brownish hair, yellow eyes, and her weapon-Oh her WEAPON- was the most sinister, powerful and attractive weapon ever devised. It was-

 _SLAP_

He was smacked out of his stupor as the Inn-keeper, no doubt used to such things walked away, signaling one of the maid workers to tend to him. The man just grinned and let out a small chuckle before lifting himself off the floor. The maid lead him to a small table, then asked if he would like anything. "Yeah, If you have any booze, i'll take that, but if you can give me the…'special' treatment, that would be appreciated." he casually said while giving the maid a wink. She let out a faked giggle before nodding her head, and she could be heard slightly grumbling about lousy wages as she went away. He would have been content to get a room and sleep already or find information, but he was prevented from doing so.

His instincts were still warning him.

It was not as strong, but that slight uneasiness was still there. He trusted his instincts. The man glanced around the room, as if to examine it. It had an old school texture to it, as well as being lit by candles. However something caught his eye, but it was not because it was anything out of the usual. It was BECAUSE it was so normal that he noticed it. Sitting in one of the less well-lit corners, with its back to the wall, was a figure in a thick black cloak, covering its entire frame.

It seemed to blend in with the darkness, and he had to focus on it or it would disappear momentarily. With a small smirk, he hoisted himself out of his chair and made his way toward the figure. As he approached the shadowy corner, the background noise sort of… quieted out. It did not disappear, and it did not get softer. It was strange. The man reached the table and pulled a chair up, placing it backwards so he could lean on its back-rest. The figure only lifted its cloaked head slightly, as if questioning his motives.

"Hey." the man said casually, like he was seeing an old friend. "..." silence was the only response. The man was not deterred. "Sooo… what brings you into this lovely town?" he calmly asked. The figure briefly hummed, as if to say 'no reason'. The silence was not startling, it was the feeling this figure was giving off. It was not evil or bad, rather, it was a feeling of nothingness, but also…

The man knew this feeling, and he grinned at the realization. He used to have that feeling all the time, before Ozpin started sending him out into remnant in a search against their enemies. "You're bored aren't you?" the man questioned, a gleam in his eyes. "You're looking for a job that pays well, and involves a little fun?"

The figure lifted its head higher, its pale chin showing from underneath its cowl. It hummed again, in a contemplative manner, pondering what he said. The man put on a questioning expression. "Am I wrong?" The figure didn't answer. Instead it got up and started heading or the door. As it passed, the man quickly said "I'm Qrow, by the way, and if you're looking for some excitement, try heading over to Beacon academy. The headmaster, guy with grey hair and a green scarf, might have something for ya. Also, if you find a blond lady with a riding crop and a attitude problem, he's probably nearby"

Qrow normally didn't trust people like this, but the feeling that the figure gave off was too much like his own from before. Besides, Oz can use all the help he can get. The figure paused for a moment, before humming in acknowledgement. As the figure was about to move towards the exit, Qrow asked one more question.

"Hey, I never caught your name." he looked at the figure, noting that t tensed up for a moment, before relaxing and uttering one word.

"Eris" said a distinctly feminine tone, in a soft voice.

The figure then moved toward the door, exiting the inn. Qrow casually pulled out his scroll, typing and sending a quick message.

'Hey, I made a shady new friend, I want you to meet em'

 _Present_

The figure hidden in the shadows was brought back to reality as it realized everybody but the headmaster has left. However, That was not what brought it out of its memory, it was the voice talking directly to it.

"Qrow told me to expect you. A shadow found in the dark corner." Eris was surprised to say the least. Very few could perceive her presence, fewer still could pinpoint her location. She slowly emerged from her shadowy form. The man merely raised his mug to drink from it.

"You know, usually there is an object creating a shadow…" He said, as if trying to imply something. Eris knew then how she was located. The blond left the room, but a shadowy blob remained were her shadow was. It would be easy for anybody with experience to notice it. Of course, she could have fully cloaked her presence if she tried, but hiding in another shadow is so much easier.

"I don't know anything about you, and this is hardly the place to get to know each other. Would you mind coming to my office at beacon sometime this week? We can sort out the formalities there." the headmaster said with a warm voice. "By the way, my name is Ozpin, a pleasure to meet you." he said while extending his hand to the imposing figure. The figure hesitated, before extend its own hand to shake his. However, what Ozpin was not expecting was the daintiness of the figures hand. It was easily smaller than his own, and had smooth pale skin, with no sign of battle on them.

Ozpin dropped his curiosity for now. "I sure we can make a beneficial partnership." he calmly stated in a friendly voice. The figure merely raised its head to meet his (It was deceptively short), and hummed in agreement. He only saw for but a brief moment, but Ozpin thought he saw a two flashes of silver from under its cowl.

The figure then leisurely existed the area, merging with the shadows once more, and darted down the street, leaving black rose petals that quickly faded away in its wake.

 **If you didn't get it, the story was a modified version of the one Qrow told Yang and Ruby.**

 **Also, If you're having trouble imagining Eris's shadow form, it looks kinda like Darkrai's from the movie. (Pokemon)**

 **The name also follows the RWBY theme of colors (sort of). Eris is a dwarf-planet, which means it's kinda like a moon, and it's always dark out when the moon shows, and Eris wears black and has a shadow semblance… so yeah. LOGIC**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: And So It Begins

 **So Eris creates rose petals and has silver eyes? How mysterious.**

 **Also, how do you picture Her?**

 **Anyway, enjoy.**

Ozpin had made many mistakes in his life, more than any other person. Contrary to what most believed, he was not all-knowing, and he could not see the future. But he has learned much from his experiences.

That's why he works with others, so that the chances of mistakes occurring are drastically reduced. If Qrow thought they could use more help, and even sent someone he believed might save them a lot of trouble, then Ozpin was willing to give them a chance.

But he had another duty to attend too, as he was the headmaster at beacon, and a new year was starting. He had to make sure these kids are ready to handle anything the world might throw at them.

He thought this as he gazed at the new students in front of him, fresh and inexperienced.

"For years you have trained to become warriors," he calmly spoke, "and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now," began the blond woman beside him, "I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams."

"Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates…" she then paused for a moment.

"Today."

The only reaction she got was from a girl in red, known as Ruby, letting out a whine of despair and sadness.

Ozpin again took the initiative, looking at each of them, "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well with."

Ruby made the whine again, slightly louder than before.

"That being said," Ozpin casually continued, "the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next 4 years."

The sound of shattered glass could be heard along with another loud whine.

Ozpin ignored this and continued with his directions, easily remembered by this point. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path, or you will die." He said without worry.

He knew they would be fine.

He then explained to them there objective; find a partner, go to the temple, retrieve a single relic, and return to the top of the cliff. It was simple.

"Are there any questions" he finally asked

"Um, sir?" a shy voice, belonging to a blond boy, asked.

"Good! Now, take your positions." Ozpin continued, ignoring the boy.

All the student then got into a ready stance. They were prepared to take on this challenge.

"Uh, sir? I've got, um, a question." the blond boy tried again. The first student was launched through the air. "So this 'landing strategy' thing, uh, w-what is it? Are you, like, dropping us off or something?" the boy asked hopefully, his voice filled with anxiety.

Ozpin took a sip from his mug .

"No. You will be falling." he stated flatly. More students were being launched.

The blond boy mildly began to shake, "So, will we be givin parachutes, or something?" he tried again.

Ozpin simply looked at the boy.

"No. You will be using your own strategy." he again stated flatly. The boy slowly nodded his head in understanding, questioning his life choices.

He tried once more, "So, what exactly is a landing strat-" he was abruptly cut off as he was sent flying through the air, ungracefully screaming in fear.

Ozpin took another sip as he watched the children disappear amongst the trees. He waited a few minutes, to ensure all the pairs have been made. He gently smiled. With that out of the way he could attend to something else.

"Glad you could make it." he calmly spoke. The blond woman looked at him in confusion before his shadow caught her eye. It began to become distorted before a figure in a thick black cloak began to rise from it.

She immediately attempted to raise her weapon, but was stopped by a casual look from Ozpin. She watched tensely as the figure fully emerged, seemingly out of Ozpin's shadow. One thing the blond noticed was the height difference between the three of them. This figure was barely up to their chests.

"I know this may not have been the appropriate time, but it seemed to work well with schedule." Ozpin spoke again. "Especially while the children are busy."

 _Meanwhile_

A terribly high pitched shriek, exuding fear and regret, pierced the air, making every student's hair stand on end.

A young blond woman turned to face the direction of the noise.

"Some girls in trouble!" she spoke with worry. "Blake, did you hear that?" she spoke again as she turned to her companion.

The black haired girl, Blake, turned to gaze at the sky, a look of confusion on her face.

There was something red coming directly at them.

 _Back to Ozpin_

He turned to face the figure, noticing again how the cloak seemed to cover their entire frame, hiding their features. He also noticed the blond woman's tense stance.

"I believe it's time for formal introductions," he spoke with enthusiasm, "I am professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy." He gestured to himself. He then turned to the blond woman.

"-and this is my fellow colleague, miss Glynda Goodwitch" Ozpin gestured to the blond woman. Glynda lost some of her rigidness and replied, "Pleasure to meet you" she spoke formally, with a hint of curiosity. Or was it caution?

The figure nodded towards them, before saying its name, "Eris" it spoke with a soft voice. Ozpin raised an eyebrow. The voice sounded small and young.

Just what kind of person did Qrow send?

He drank from his mug. "Nice to meet you, Eris." he then took out his personal scroll, bringing of a video of the students. "If you would like to watch, feel free. The job you have come here for entirely depends on the outcome of this test." Ozpin said in a encouraging voice.

He moved over to allow Eris a view, noting again her…(his?) size difference. He had a suspicion of the figures gender, but didn't want to come off rude by asking the figure right now. That could wait until later.

Turning to his scroll, Ozpin gained a surprised expression on his face, which turned into one of amusement. He did not expect the students to be near the cliff already, but he now understood why. A group of 8 students were currently battling 2 grimm in the ruins beside the cliff. One was a large deathstalker, and the other was a giant nevermore.

Currently, the nevermore was charging at a group of 4 girls, tanking all the bullets and projectiles as it sped towards them. It sliced through the building they were on, but they used the falling debris as platforms to find another vantage point.

On the opposite side of the area, a deathstalker was getting pushed back by the combined efforts of 2 boys and 2 girls. The deathstalkers eye was then punctured by the spear of young woman in armor, and its stinger was taking significant damage from a boy black hair (and some pink) latched to its tail.

The deathstalker, having enough of it, violently shook the boy clinging to it off its tail, and into a stone wall. However, the damage was done, and its stinger was hanging on by a thread. A perfect weakness to exploit.

The blond boy present quickly looked at the armored woman, pointing at the stinger. The woman nodded in understanding, and hurled her shield toward the stinger like a projectile. Her aim was true as it decapitated the stinger from the deathstalker body, causing it to fall.

It pierced the deathstalkers armor like it was paper, lodging itself in its former master. The deathstalker roared in pain.

Using this opportunity, another girl, with a large hammer, was boosted into the air by the armored woman, gaining altitude. When she reached her peak, she activated her hammer's ranged attack, using its recoil to gain momentum, while also spinning in a circular motion, gaining even more power and speed behind it.

She crashed her hammer down on the stinger, burying it further within its old master, and severely damaging the bridge they were currently on. Her teammates ran past her as she used her weapon again to propel herself further, and to give the bridge the last push it needed.

The deathstalker was then lost to the chasms below.

The nevermore, meanwhile, was currently getting served dinner in the form of shotguns shells down its throat. After the tasteful snack, it slammed into the side of a cliff, disoriented from the strong flavor, and fell to the ground.

It recovered quickly, however, and squawked, sending out a challenge to those who oppose it, and it attempted to regain air superiority.

Before it could a girl in white quickly dashed forward and froze its tail, forcing it to remain grounded. The other girls were setting up an crudely made slingshot, with the red girl taking her position in the middle of the sling. As the sling rocked back, it was caught in a glyph made by the one in white.

"Of course YOU would come up with this idea." she stated in irritation. The red girl, Ruby, looked forward.

"Think you can make the shot?" she asked with a small grin.

"Hmph, can I?" mused the white one in a arrogant manner, as if that wasn't even a question.

There was a moment of silence

Ruby looked at her with concern, "Can-" "Of course I can!" rebuked the white one before Ruby even had a chance to finish her question. Ruby was then launched towards the nevermore, catching its neck with her scythe and landing on a glyph plastered against the cliffside.

Using the the glyphs and the recoil on her weapon, she quickly gained speed and dragged the nevermore up the cliffside, and, in an amazing display of power, decapitated the creature before landing in a victorious pose.

Ruby then turned back towards her teammates, her cloak flapping in the wind, red rose petals fluttering in the wind behind it.

That is what interested Eris. The red rose petals.

As far as she knew, only she produced rose petals with her semblance. This, along with the fact that ruby had silver eyes, her last name (Rose), and an appearance similar to her own, confirmed what she had been thinking about the past few days.'

Ruby was somehow related to her.

What the connection was, or how they were related was unknown, but maybe should could find out in the future, if Ozpin is serious about working with her.

Speaking of Ozpin.

He turned off the scroll and motioned for Eris and Glynda to follow him. "Come on, we don't want to keep the students waiting." he cheerfully spoke. Glynda followed, briefly slowing when she passed Eris, but otherwise kept a composed appearance.

After some hesitation, Eris chose to follow on foot, rather than as a shadow.

 _Later that day_

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black Bishop pieces." announced Ozpin, in his usual calm voice. "From this day forward, you will work together as…" Ozpin paused for a split second, letting suspense fill the air briefly. "Team CRDL (Cardinal), lead by Cardin winchester."

Applause filled the air as team CRDL left the stage. The next team moved up.

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie." announced Ozpin in the same voice. "The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as…" Ozpin paused again. "Team JNPR (Juniper)" Applause filled the air again as Nora gave Ren a death-hug.

"Lead by…" Ozpin Continued. "Jaune Arc"

"Huh? L-Lead by?" replied the newly appointed leader in bewilderment.

Ozpin nodded, "Congratulations young man."

Jaune had a lost look on his face, before be knocked over by Pyrrha, trying to give him a friendly shoulder punch.

"And finally…" Ozpin continued in his speaking voice, as JNPR left the stage. "Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose." His shadow twitched briefly. "Weiss Schnee. And Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin finished. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as…" He paused once more.

"Team RWBY. (Ruby)" Ozpin stated. "Lead by…"

"Ruby Rose"

His shadow subtly flickered again.

Clapping erupted from the crowd, as Weiss just stared at Ruby in abject shock.

"I'm so PROUD of you!" yelled Yang as she embraced Ruby in a sisterly hug, the happiness clear on her face.

Ozpin silently nodded in approval, before speaking again.

"Looks like things are shaping up to be an…" He quickly glnced at his shadow, which flickered in response, before returning his gaze to RWBY.

"Interesting year" Ozpin concluded

 _Later_

"You know, you are welcome here, there's no need to stay completely hidden." Ozpin calmy encouraged. Eris, not dropping any speed, crept out of Ozpin's shadow.

Glynda, who was walking besides him, slightly shuddered. It was startling to see someone rise from the ground like that.

Eris merely hummed in acknowledgment.

They continued forwards until they reached an elevator. It opened and the three occupants stepped inside, heading for the headmasters office.

"Now, about that job I have for you... " Ozpin began.

Eris hummed in curiosity.

'What kind of job could Ozpin have that depended on the teams?' She wondered, as her silver eyes gazed at him, unseen in the shadows of her hood.

 **So, what do think the job will be? Take a guess.**

 **Eris does not need to use other's shadows, but becoming a shadow herself and merging with someone else's is like the difference between walking, and riding a wagon being pulled by someone else.**

 **It's just a lazier way to travel.**

 **The flickering is very faint, but Ozpin is very perceptive, which is how he noticed the last flicker. Had he been looking, he might have seen the other two.**

 **Also, Eris's cloak is actually very smooth and pristine. It's just thick, giving off the appearance of being large.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Those Kind of Jobs

 **Now that something resembling a plot has been made, I'm going to start bulking up the chapters. I'm thinking 3500-5000 words. That sound good? Of course it does.**

 **Qrow's meeting with Eris took place a month or two before she arrived in Vale, because Mistral is pretty far away.**

 **Also having an issue with the story picture not showing, I'll try make it work.**

 **This chapter will mostly consist of information about Eris's combat style and discussing the job details, so be ready for a minor info dump.**

 **I'll try to keep updating at least 1 chapter a week, maybe more if i'm bored.**

 **Enjoy**

The Elevator quickly ascended Beacon Tower, arriving at its destination in record time. As the doors opened, Eris took a moment to take in the room.

It was a circular room with a slight green tint, small enough to fit at the top of the tower. Along the ceiling, gears of different shapes and sizes quietly rotated and spun, their purpose unknown. They seemed entirely cosmetic. Opposite of the elevator was a glass wall, overlooking vale and most of the school. The center-most window was shaped like a clock.

Or maybe it _was_ a clock. Hard to tell.

The room was mostly empty, only consisting of a table with a white-vased plant on it, and pillars supporting the rooms integrity. The most prominent feature was a fancy looking desk, shaped like a semi-circle, curving outward to allow a chair to sit comfortably inside it.

Ozpin and Glynda already started into the room, and Eris swifty caught up to them. Glynda came to a stop slightly in front of the desk, moving to the side and looking at Eris, who also stopped.

Ozpin walked around the desk, and took a seat in the uncomfortable looking chair. Said chair also had gears built into the designs. Just what was their significance?

As he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk, clasping his hands together, Ozpin motioned to another chair that had not been there before.

"Take a seat, please." he said in his friendly voice.

Eris turned to the chair and lowered herself into it. It was like a smaller version of Ozpin's chair, and was, surprisingly, very comfy.

"Now that everything has been taken care of, I believe this is best time to set up our...business venture." he said after some slight hesitation, trying to find the right words.

Eris hummed in agreement, before silently awaiting the upcoming discussion.

"But before we get into the nitty-gritty details, I would like to know more about the person I am working with. All I know is your name." Ozpin gently smiled. "You don't have share your life history, just some things we should know about you."

Eris tilted her head to side slightly. "Like what"

Ozpin took a sip from his ever-present, bottomless mug, briefly pondering a response. "Well, your occupation and terms of service, that would be a good place to start"

Eris leaned back into her chair, a response already on her lips. "I'm a mercenary, mostly. If you can give something to me, than I can do something for you." She paused for a moment, before adding, "Except assassinations, I won't do those."

Even as a mercenary in Mistral, Eris still had a moral code that forbade killing, even in dire situations, preferring to either retreat from or restrain people. It usually ended with her knocking them unconscious and dumping them in a town, where they were taken into the custody of the residents.

Ozpin nodded, "That's fine, assassination is not what I had in mind. Quite the opposite actually, but we will get to that soon. Please continue. Maybe some things about yourself?" he calmy encouraged.

Eris expected that question, she could see the curiosity in his eyes, his unknowing of her. She let out a soft sigh before she spoke again.

"As you know by now, my semblance is ability to merge with darkness or shadows, becoming like them." She spoke, determined to be a bit vague. They don't need to know every detail.

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "That's an unusual semblance, but it certainly fits your character." He commented, looking over her dark form.

'It fits the image you see' Eris idly thought.

There's a reason she wears a big cloak. Although she was sure Ozpin knew more than he let on. The man was very perceptive, immensely so.

Ozpin nodded, confirming her previous statement. "Yes, you were not very subtle with it. Or would it be you _were_ subtle, considering its use." he mused in humor, referencing its shadowy nature.

Eris judged him silently.

Not at all bothered, Ozpin inquired further. "And what of your weapons? Surely someone of your occupation has found themselves in a few rumbles with people or grimm? What do you use to defend yourself or get the job done?" he warmly asked, encouraging her to reveal her weapons.

 _click_

A click, silent to a normal person, but still barely perceptible to the veteran huntsman and huntress, was made, along with a small shuffle of movement beneath Eris's cloak.

Two identical blades, each the size of a knife and the color of Qrow's hair, were produced from the cloak, handled by small pale hands.

Eris gently put them on the desk, the handles facing opposite side of the table, displayed for all to see. Ozpin reached for one, stopping and glancing at Eris for permission, before grabbing one by the handle.

He held it up to his eyes, observing the design of the knife. It had a slightly curved blade, not quite straight, about as long as an average knife. The blade was smooth and sleek, most likely used for swift strikes, and ,Ozpin noted, seemed to reflect absolutely no light, no matter how it was positioned.

The grip of the knife, like the rest of Eris's color scheme, was dark, but was covered in black wrappings. He also noticed how the handle was slightly curved as well, in the same direction as the blade.

Ozpin attempted to wield it in his hand, to test the balance, speed, and power, but realised it was uncomfortable to wield in his hand, seemingly destroying its usefulness. He looked at Eris with a questioning look, before noticing she held the other knife in a reverse grip, shaking it gently to indicate he was holding it wrong.

Quickly adjusting his grip to match hers, the weapon becoming more attuned to his grip, complementing the muscle structure of his hand. Ozpin smiled at Eris, "Very unique. I have seem only a sparse amount of huntsman who wield knives. I never seen one wielded like this though…" he trailed off bringing his finger to run across the blade's edge.

Most huntsman, or anybody who could use a weapon, prefered bigger weapons with lots of power, but still maintained high speed. With extra reach, they found they could fight at a safer distance, mitigating or blocking most damage. Only a few used such close-range melee weapons, but they always had a heavy gun, to compensate for their lack of stopping power.

Ozpin looked at Eris. "Do you have any ranged weapons?" he asked curiously, wondering what strange gun she may used. Eris simply shook her head.

Ozpin lowered his gaze back to the knife, genuinely surprised to learn she had no ranged weapon. However, he was certain she had some surprises up her sleeves when she would have a need for such things.

He ran his finger casually over the blade, knowing his aura would prevent any damage from occurring. As his finger slid off the end of the knife, he noticed something off. Ozpin paused, letting out a slow "Oh?" before he repeated the action on the blade one more time, to make sure he did not imagine it.

His aura did indeed protect him, but he realised an interesting effect the blade had. While he expected to feel a slight drop in his aura, he was mystified to find out the damage to his aura was equivalent to that of getting smacked by an beowulf.

While this was not a colossal amount, a simple finger along the blade should not have done that kind of damage. Ozpin gave Eris another questioning look, while Glynda remained oblivious the the discovery.

"Your weapon...what is it meant for?" he asked, wanting to confirm his suspicion.

"What do you mean?" asked Eris softly, voice full of clearly-feigned innocence, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

Ozpin placed the knife back down on the desk, taking another drink from his coffee. "Its purpose. What is it primarily used for?" questioned Ozpin calmly as Eris reclaimed the knives, returning them to their place.

Eris hummed thoughtfully, before responding, "It's main purpose is to defeat enemies without killing them." she replied simply.

Ozpin nodded in understanding. He could grasp its concept now. The blades would quickly whittle down an opponent's aura, leaving them vulnerable to ballistic damage, where they were then incapacitated. A simple and effective strategy, although there was one problem…

"What about grimm?" asked Glynda, catching on after noticing Ozpin's reduced aura. Eris tapped her small fingers on her chin, stuck in thought, before replying. "Hmmm… well… usually It works pretty well against the grimm. It takes a bit more work when it comes to bigger, more armored grimm, but I manage."

She paused, before adding, "Although, I generally flee from combat against such grimm, unless I was contracted to get rid of them. I personally like fighting boarbatusks the most."

Ozpin smiled gently, realizing he had never heard Eris talk this much before. Maybe she was becoming more open with them. Of course, the only thing she ever showed was her hands and lower face, which is not much to go off of in terms of knowing what she looks like. Oh well, progress is progress, even if it is only a little.

Pushing those thought aside, Ozpin responded in a knowing voice, "I see. Im sure you have found a few exploitable weaknesses to use." He took a sip from his coffee, "Thank you for informing me on some details, it's nice to know I am not hiring a killer."

Eris hummed in understanding. She had no love for anybody who killed people for a living either. Ozpin set his cup down and leaned back on his chair, crossing his legs as he did so.

"Now, would you like to hear the job description?" He asked politely.

Glynda, who had remained quiet most of the time, soaking up the information like a sponge, chose this moment to speak, "What IS the job you have been talking about? You made it sound like it should be kept silent." She noted with curiosity.

Ozpin simply let out a humorous chuckle, "yes, well, I imagine it would raise a few questions if it was known I hired someone to protect a specific team." he spoke with humor.

'So it's a protection job…' thought Eris. That was fine, she had done many before, from protecting caravans, to ensuring no harm befalls an individual.

Glynda eyed Ozpin, irritation obvious on her face. "Your contracting a person you never met before to guard students?" She stated. When she put it that way, it did sound a bit silly.

"I believe in Qrow's judgement. He hasn't failed me yet, and i'm honestly a bit intrigued by you." Ozpin turned to face Eris, "I'm curious why he sent you." Eris merely hummed and raised her hands in a 'what can you do' gesture, revealing small arms in loose black sleeves.

"Boredom?" she guessed.

"Spite?" suggested Glynda.

"Probably both." Ozpin agreed. Qrow may be professional, but he never missed out on an opportunity to make Oz tear his hair out.

"Regardless," continued Ozpin, regaining his calm voice. "Your assignment would be to ensure the safety of 4 students. Specifically, team RWBY."

Eris perked up slightly, remembering a certain member of the team, realizing this would be a great chance to answer some of the many questions she had. Glynda, not having those thoughts, quickly addresses a problem.

"And how will she do that? You said yourself you didn't want them to know she was a bodyguard." Glynda noted dutifully. She knew Ozpin likely already had a solution to the problem. Ozpin smiled at her, before speaking.

"simple." he stated with grin, "You will be attending beacon as a student, accepted late due to a communication error." he announced proudly.

Glynda gave him a look mixed between disbelief and annoyance. "But Ozpin-" she was cut off as Ozpin explained the rest of the plan.

"All expenses will be paid for, and you would still be allowed to do side jobs on weekends." he continued, getting a hum of approval from Eris. She likes this plan, especially when it benefits her.

Ozpin then looked directly at her, "However…" the way he looked at her made her feel uneasy about what he would say next. "You will be required to attend classes, and adhere to most school rules, including being a respectable teammate."

This was acceptable, she can follow simple school rules, and this was not the first time she tag-teamed.

"Which also includes wearing the school uniform." Ozpin added calmy.

And like that any respect she had for this man went out the clock shaped window and splattered across the cold, hard ground.

Eris glared at him from under her hood, giving him a menacing (Adorable) growl of irritation. Ozpin, for his part, simply sipped more coffee. They continued to stare at each other before Eris, begrudgingly, accepted those terms, motioning for him to continue. She could also be heard muttering curses under her breath.

"You can still wear your cloak, but you're going to have to be more open with your appearance around your teammates and comrades." Ozpin gently enforced. "It is extremely important that you gain each other's trust."

Eris sighed, speaking softly, "I know, I know…" She nodded to herself, steeling her resolve. Ozpin then asked the question.

"So, do accept? You will have to guard them until graduation, but you can accept other jobs on the weekend. You will also receive a cash reward at the end of each week, for your efforts."

Eris thought about it for a moment. Graduation…. That would mean a 4 year protection order. She would be restrained to stay in vale, only taking jobs at the weekend. But she thought of the red girl, Ruby, and her resemblance to her, all the mystery surrounding that connection.

And besides, maybe going to school would be fun. Not many get to go to academies without transcripts and without paying any lien. With these thoughts taken into account, she made her decision.

"I accept." Eris softly spoke, with confidence.

Ozpin smiled warmly at her, extending his hand. "Well than, as headmaster, allow me welcome you to beacon Eris." She extended her own smaller hand as they shook hands, cementing to contract.

"If anything ever comes up, or an adjustment needs to be made, we will renegotiate the terms." added Ozpin, taking a sip from his mug.

"I will alert Ruby Rose that they will be having another teammate. It's not the first time there was a team of 5." he said as Eris got off her chair and headed towards the elevator. "For now, become familiar with the school grounds."

Before she reached the elevator, Ozpin asked one more question.

"I know this might sound rude, but… I am uncertain of your gender." he calmly admitted. Glynda looked at him in shock, before realising she didn't know for certain either. They had a suspicion, but no solid confirmation.

Eris stopped, turned and looked at them like they just insulted her, which they probably did. Glynda and Ozpin looked at Eris expectantly, before she turned back to the elevator. The doors open and she stepped in. She sends them an invisible glare before shaking her head and muttered in annoyance, just loud enough to hear.

"Female" she said curtly before the doors close.

Ozpin simply sighed, happy he was correct, and that the contract went successfully. Eris was an odd one, certainly. He was about to drink more of his signature coffee when he realized Glynda was staring at him and tapping her foot.

He also realized he told her absolutely nothing about hiring an armed mercenary before this meeting.

"Well, Glynda, there's a very good and logical reason behind this." he said convincingly, already dreading the rant he was about to be subjected to.

 _1 hour later_

Team RWBY was in their room, enjoying a delightful sensation known as sleep. After running through the Emerald Forest, and successfully slaying 2 high-class grimm, they were ready to take the night off, even if was only the late afternoon.

Or they would have if Ruby's scroll wasn't ringing as loud as dying ursa. Ruby blindly attempted to silence the device, but to no avail. Groaning in defeat she picked herself up off the cozy warm bed and picked up the scroll, checking the caller ID.

She shook herself to full awareness when she realized it was the headmaster. She quickly swiped her finger across the device and spoke to it,

"Um… hello professor." she nervously greeted, unsure of the reason behind the call. Was she in trouble?

"Hello Ruby. I know this is a bit late, but I am happy to inform you that you will be receiving another teammate...today." he explained warmly. Ruby was shocked for moment, before she responded, the previous nervousness completely gone.

"Really, we're getting another teammate? Who is it? When will they be here? Why are they paired with us so late? What's their favorite snack?" She fired off questions in rapid succession, waking her teammates with her flurry of words

"Eris will be joining you shortly, you can ask her yourself when she gets there." Ozpin encouraged, while the rest of RWBY listened to the conversation. "Try not to startle her, she is...shy." he said after some slight hesitation. Shy is not the right word, but it will work.

At that statement, every member of the room looked toward their black haired teammate. Blake met their looks and frowned. "I'm not shy, im just...quiet." she defended.

"Riiiight." A blond girl, Yang, retorted with sarcasm. "SO! When do we get to meet her?" she asked enthusiastically. This means Ruby gets +1 friend, and that's an increase.

"Actually, she should be showing up relatively soon." Ozpin noted calmly. "I also had Glynda send another bed to your dorm room, so no-one would have to use the floor. Its waiting at the end of your hall." he continued.

"That is all girls, enjoy your time before classes." Ozpin finished, before breaking the connection. The occupants of the room were quiet for a moment, as each person thought over what they heard.

All except for Ruby who quickly ran to the door, saying "I'llGetTheBedBeRightBack!" without pause or breath before she was already out in the hall. She was determined not to meet their new member like she did Weiss. This time it will be the best welcome EVER.

But as soon as she got out of the room, she ran head first into someone else, sending both of them onto the floor. Black and red rose petals fluttered around them, the black ones disappearing swiftly, leaving only the reds.

Quietly moaning in slight pain, Ruby picked herself up, immediately apologizing to whoever she bulldozed. "Im sorry, Im sorry, imi sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." she fervently explained.

She looked at the person she collided with offering her hand. The other person, wearing a black cloak larger than her own red one, grasped her hand as Ruby helped them up. "Sorry, I was just going to get another bed. My team is getting another member soon." Ruby continued nervously.

Both back on there feet, Ruby realised she had never seen this person before. "Im Ruby," she gestured to herself, trying to sound professional but failing, "What's your name?" she asked sheepishly, raising her arm for a handshake.

The figure Reciprocated the action with her own hand. "Eris" the figure said in return. Ruby tensed in response, a surprised expression on her face, realizing she already messed up the perfect welcome.

"Uh, uhm…" Ruby tried to think of something to say, nervously rubbing the back of her head. 'Think Ruby, THINK. Be like Yang, be cool.'

"So, um, you're our new teammate?" she tried to say with confidence, but again failed miserably, sounding unsure of herself. Eris nodded in confirmation. There was a awkward silence as Eris patiently waited for Ruby to do or say something.

"We, uh, only have four beds, so I was going to get another one for you…" Ruby trailed off, trying to not mess anything up. "Would you like to, uh, join me?"

Eris hummed in agreement, signalling Ruby to lead the way. The red rose than jumped in excitement, happy the situation was salvaged. "Alright, come on!" she said as she dashed joyfully towards the bed's location at the end of the hall, red petals fluttering behind her. Eris waved them out of her face as she followed swiftly after the red fireball, smiling.

'I like her' she thought merily. People like Ruby were easier to work with, and incredibly amusing to watch. She just hoped the others would be manageable as well.

'Welcome to Beacon' she thought idly.

 **Took a bit longer to make this one, but hopefully the size made it more satisfying.**

 **Next chapter, We will learn more about why Eris wears such a concealing cloak.**

 **I'll also stay true to the canon plot, but I will add some twists and turns here and there.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Out of the Shadows

 **I just shoveled down $100 on** _ **Smite**_ **to get Demonic Pact Anubis. I feel so satisfied.**

 **Reviews are welcome, Feel free to leave your thoughts anonymously or with your account.**

 **This chapter focuses on day 1, a bit of Eris lore, and I will start speeding up the plot after some things are hashed out.**

 **Enjoy**

Ruby beamed at Weiss.

Weiss stared at Blake

Blake gazed at Yang.

Yang was hugging (crushing) Eris.

Eris was flailing uselessly.

"Welcome to the team!" she happily greeted after Ruby returned to their dorm. "Believe me, you'll ~love it here~!" Yang sang as she released Eris from her friendly hug (Death-Grip). Eris landed on her feet, subtly creating some distance between her and the smiling blond woman.

"Yeah! We're gonna be the best team in the school." Ruby exclaimed, raising her fist into the air in triumph. Blake remained silent as Weiss spoke up. "Especially with me on the team, my expertise will secure our place." she arrogantly added.

Eris wondered if karma was coming to collect her debt.

"Yeah, were pretty awesome." Yang confidently supplied. "We already wrecked a nevermore in initiation, we got this year in the bag." she said confidently as she plopped herself onto her bed. Blake silently made her way to her own bed, the fatigue from earlier coming back with a vengeance.

Weiss also made her way to her bed, gracefully sitting on the end, while Eris took in her new team. Ruby, as she stated before, was kind of an airhead, but had a innocence about her. Weiss, on the other hand, held herself with grace, taking great pride in her abilities. Yang has an incredibly strong physique (She has first-hand experience), and had a voice full of humor. Not much could be said about Blake, other than she prefers silence and is closed off.

In total, they were the most merry band of misfits Eris had ever seen.

Ruby, in a flurry of movements, managed to move Eris's bed into an unoccupied part of the room. "We haven't got around to customising the room yet." she explained to Eris, "so you can just kinda…" she made multiple different gestures to her, their meaning completely unknown.

"Uh huh…" Eris responded slowly, pretending she understood. Ruby grinned and and gave a small laugh before turning to her own bed. "And now for my next trick." She said before propelling herself under the covers of her bed, instantly falling asleep.

Weiss and Yang were also sleeping, their previous tiredness returning. Blake, who was lazily reading a book, simply looked at Eris and shrugged, closing her book and blowing out the a candle, before she too entered dreamland.

Eris hummed to herself in amusement, moving to her own bed. She pulled the covers off and deposited them onto the floor. She never liked using them. She smoothly glided onto the bed, wrapping herself in her soft cloak, and sinking slightly into the comforting embrace of the shadows.

A bed was fine, but the familiar sense of weightlessness was much more pleasant to her. Eris felt at home in the endless expanse of the shadowy void. Her senses didn't work the same as they normally did in the corporeal world, as she couldn't see, hear, or smell.

The only thing she could do was feel, but not in the same way as before. She _Feels_ smells, she _Feels_ sounds, and she _Feels_ her surroundings. The sensations can not be accurately explained, but she knows what the are. Each smell has a unique feel, each sound feels different, and every object has its own distinct feeling.

It's different when it comes to people, however. A person's smell, voice, aura, and appearance all muddle together to form one, unified feeling. It was as if their very being was manifested and projected to her.

She _felt_ Ruby.

She _felt_ Blake.

She _felt_ Weiss.

She _felt_ Yang

She _felt_ their very being.

Eris dedicated their individual feelings to memory, making sure to remember them.

Whenever she tried to explain to someone their feeling, they were unnerved. They always remarked that they felt disturbed, as if their secrets were revealed. The one thing she could not feel was herself. No matter what she tried, she could never sense her own being. It was irritating.

She slept peacefully in this realm of weightlessness and feeling, floating aimlessly. She had a vague sense of time. She could sense the darkness of night, and the lack of it during the day, but could not pinpoint its exactness.

This was how she realized it was approaching the afternoon when she regained her consciousness, also feeling a sharp noise in the air and her teammates moving about. Eris, regretfully, exited her favorite place in the world, her senses returning to her once more as she breathed deeply.

"GOOOOOD MORNING TEAM REWBY! (E=Eris)" Ruby exclaimed excitedly, ready to start their first day. Weiss, who for some reason was laying on the floor, indignantly berated Ruby, "What in the world is _Wrong_ with you?!" she asked, still on the floor.

Ruby merily put her hands on her hips, raising her chin in authority, "Now that you're awake, we can officially begin our first order of business" she continued. Weiss picked herself off the floor as Eris moved off her bed. "Excuse me?" Weiss asked in confusion.

"~Decorating~" Yang cheerfully supplied. Blake also spoke up, "We still have to unpack." she explained, holding up her suitcase as indication, before its contents spilled onto the floor. "And clean."

Ruby blew her whistle again, knocking Weiss of her feet and promoting Eris to cover her ears. " **ALRIGHT!** Weiss, Blake, Yang, Eris, and their Fearless leader Ruby have begun their first mission. BANZAI!" Ruby said in determination, raising her fist into the air.

"BANZAI!" joined Blake and Yang, also raising their fists. Eris hummed in amusement, before picking up her supplied uniform and heading to the bathroom as Weiss let out a melancholy sigh.

Yang, Weiss, and Blake quickly proceeded to customize the room, adding their personal touches. Ruby was about to join when she noticed Eris's lack of contribution.

"Eris? Aren't you gonna help?" Ruby asked curiously, wondering what was up. Eris lazily lifted her uniform, "changing" she replied in her usual soft voice. Ruby tilted her head slightly before shrugging and joining the others in beautifying the room.

Eris closed the bathroom door behind her, sighing as she removed her cloak, letting it fall to the ground as she walked over to the sink. She placed her uniform on the ground before gazing lazily at the mirror. She ran a hand through her loose, shoulder-length maroon hair, moving the right side behind her ear. She gently adjusted the small black bow above her right ear, confirming it was secure.

She took in her appearance, making sure she was presentable. Her pale skin was clean and smooth, with a subtle pink blush on her upper cheeks. Her silver eyes, once dulled and hidden beneath her cloak, shone brightly. In most instances, she would be considered attractive, but as a mercenary in Mistral, that only brought trouble.

That's why she wore a cloak to hide her features. Her youthful appearance prevented her from getting any jobs, the employers usually thinking she was too young to help, or they would try to hit on her. It was much easier and simpler to hide her appearance, using the unknown to look more mysterious. She would appear as someone who could get the job done, rather than a beautiful young woman.

Her small frame helped in that regard , as well her combat style. She prefered to use incredible speed to quickly incapacitate enemies and to avoid injury. Having a smaller body helped increase speed and decrease the likelihood of being hit. She could also sneak easier too.

That was another deception though.

Most people who saw her true appearance thought she was around 16-20. That was (technically) untrue, as she just looked younger than she was. This was because Eris spent a lot of time _deep_ within the shadows/void, where time moves slower. She did not age with the world around her when she did this, meaning some time in there was more time out here. Normally this was a disadvantage and was why she wore a cloak most of the time, however, this time it would help her play-off her disguise as a student.

Removing her normal attire, which consisted of a simple loose-sleeved black blouse with a black thigh-lengthed combat skirt, tinted grey towards the end, and black shorts underneath (she abhorred leggings), and equipped the standard female uniform. She backed up and twirled, making sure everything was on correctly. She also kept her shorts on, as she wasn't going to wear the leggings, nothing in the world could make her.

Humming in approval, Eris picked up her cloak and put it back on. She pulled the hood back and shrugged back the the parts covering her her body, making the cloak fold on itself behind her. She walked back to the door and opened it, eyes widening in shock at the scene before her.

Books covered the entirety of the walls, with boxes dominating the floor.

Then there were the beds.

'Wow' was the only thought Eris could think when she saw the formation of the beds. The 2 beds on the right were stacked neatly on top of each other using books, while the beds on the left were...slightly less organised. One bed was on the ground, while another was lopsidedly suspended above it by ropes connecting it to the ceiling. Another bed was attached to the top bed by duct-taped.

She could only assume that one was hers.

'Why wouldn't it be?' Eris thought while contemplating the physics behind it.

The rest of the team looked at their creation with approval, before Ruby spoke. "Alright! Our second order of business i-" she cut suddenly cut herself off. The rest of the team looked at her in confusion.

"Um, HELLO? Remnant to Ruby?" Yang said uncertainly as she waved her hand in front of Ruby's unblinking face. Weiss tilted her head at this, "I know you don't have many brain cells, but you never broke like this before." she said with concern. Blake followed Ruby's gaze, before her eyes widened, her cheeks turning slightly red.

Weiss huffed in annoyance, "Now YOU'RE doing it! Why am i surrounded by-" she then saw what they were looking at, a slight blush coloring her normally white cheeks. Yang almost laughed at her expression, "Weiss, you're _freezing_ up there." she noted humorously, before turning to what they were all staring at.

Yang paused.

Then she smiled.

"Oh WOW." she then put a hand on her hip. "Eris, I didn't know you were so pretty." she continued, her grin widening. This got the others out of their stupor. Shaking there heads in a cartoonish fashion, they regained their composure

Weiss was the first to speak.

"She's ok." she tried to play off her behavior. "Definitely better than most." her blush returning as she realized what she said.

"She's more than _ok_ Weiss, she's damn near perfect!" Yang announced shamelessly.

Eris's natural blush intensified as she pulled her hood back up to cover her face. Seeing this Yang quickly grabbed her in another hug. "~Oooh I didn't mean to embarrass you~" she said as she cuddled Eris, pushing her hood back down as she growled indignantly in her arms. Some red dripped from from Blake's nose before she wiped it off.

"You kinda look like me." Ruby mentioned, noticing her silver eyes, roundish face, and maroon hair, although her own hair was pure red and black. Yang also looked closely at Eris, "Ya know, she kinda does." she admitted.

Weiss noticed this too, "Maybe she is a distant relative?" she suggested uncertainly. Blake also contributed. "Or maybe it's just a coincidence." she suggested. They all looked at Eris for an answer, only to notice her struggling to free herself from Yang's Iron grip.

"Oh, sorry." Yang apologises as she gently set Eris down. After sending Yang a glare, she turned the others and shrugged, "No idea."

There was an awkward silence, broke only by Ruby, who continued where she left off. "Alright! Our second order of business is…" she raised her hand triumphantly, before she crashed onto her bed. "Classes." she completed dejectedly.

"Now" she continued, "We have a few classes together today. At 9:00 we've gotta be-"

"WHAT?!" Weiss exclaimed in alarm, "Did you say 9 o'clock!" Ruby just stared at her dumbfounded. Weiss grabbed her head in panic, "It's 8:55 you DUNCE." She said before she ran out of the room.

The Rest of REWBY, as well as JNPR, watched her go, before Ruby issued their next order of business, "uhh. T-t-to class!" she said before speeding off, followed shortly by Yang, then Blake. Eris quickly merged with Blake's shadow as she left, causing JNPR to stare in shock, collapsing on each other as they stared at the spot a student fell through the floor.

"D-d-did anyone else see that?" Juane stammered out, looking at his teammates for confirmation that he's not crazy. Ren nodded, "It was likely their semblance, but I don't know what it was." he logically guessed. "Maybe she broke her legs?" added Nora.

"We should really be getting to class." Pyrrha suggested. They listened to that advice and followed after REWBY.

 _4 minutes and 55 seconds later_

REWBY and JNPR crashed through the doors at the same time, falling over each other and looking quite winded. Blake, who was last to enter gracefully maneuver around their bodies, slipping inside the classroom. When she felt everyone was preoccupied, Eris hopped out of Blake's shadow. Blake's bow twitched slightly as she turned around, surprise written on her face, "When did-"

"Excellent Timing!" professor Port bellowed, "Please take a seat so we may begin todays lesson."

The two teams then moved to open seats before Port began his lesson, "Monsters! Demons! Prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of grimm have many names, but I merily refer to them as _prey._ HaHa!" He joked, only to receive silence as a response. "Uhh, and you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy." the round man continued unperturbed.

"Now as I was saying-blah blah blah, blah blah, blah." The man words became a distant noise as Eris zoned out. It's not that she was a bad listener, but she suddenly found herself suddenly, and irrevocably bored ( _cough-Reverence-cough_ ). She picked up her pencil, and started doodling on her notecard. She'll just copy off Weiss, who was on her left, without her noticing. She wasn't paying much attention to what she was drawing, but let her hand do what it wanted to do.

After a short moment her hand stopped, signalling her works completion. She looked down, curious as to what her idle mind decided to draw. She was not disappointed in the slightest. Eris heard giggling to her left and noticed Ruby had doodled too, and was currently showing them a crudely drawn picture of Port, with stink lines whirling off him while making a small fart noise.

In response, Eris showed Ruby her well-drawn picture of Ruby showing them a crude drawing of Port. The rest of her team looked at her in confusion. Port must have noticed their lack of attention, as he coughed loudly, bringing them out of their thoughts. "In the end, the beowulf was no match for my **sheer** tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero." he said with nostalgia in his voice. He took a bow.

"The moral of the story?"

"A true huntsman must be honorable" Ruby balanced an apple on top of a book on top of a pencil.

"A true huntsman must be dependable" Ruby fell asleep.

"A true huntsman must be strategic"

"Well-educated"

"And wise"

Eris stopped looking after Ruby's fingure approached her nose. "So who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Port asked, trying to encourage the students to participate.

"I do sir!" said Weiss confidently, instantly shooting her arm into the air, looking ready to explode. Port grinned from under his mustache, "Well then, let's find out. Step forward, and face your opponent!" he loudly proclaimed, gesturing to a large cage with two glowing red eyes emanating from within. Weiss stepped to the front of the class regally, eager to show her superior skills.

"Gooooo Weiss!" Yang cheered.

"Fight Well!" Blake encouraged, holding a small flag with REWBY written on it.

"Good Luck." Eris softly supported.

"Yeah, represent team REWBY!" Ruby happily yelled, raising her arms in the air with excitement. Weiss turned and snapped, "RUBY, I'm _trying_ to focus!" she shouted irritably, clearly bothered. Ruby visibly deflated, murmuring "Oh...sorry."

The rest of the team watched weiss with concern, as she only addressed Ruby. They were unsure why she reacted that way. After some thought, they blew it off as just some of her Weiss-ness. Eris had no idea as to the cause, choosing to observe for the moment and possibly put the pieces together.

"Alright. Let the match...BEGIN" Port bellowed as he cleaved the cage's lock off with his blunderbuss-axe, revealing a menacing boarbatusk. The creature of grimm immediately charged at Weiss, setting its sights on mutilating her. Weiss waited until it approached, then deftly hopped to the side, striking the grimms side as she did so. The boarbatusk wasn't fazed in the slightest, and turned bear its hollow gaze on her, as if to stare her down.

' _Go for the belly_ ,' thought Eris, ' _it's weak there_.'

"HaHa, weren't expecting that, were you?" Port mused as Weiss tried to think of another strategy. "Hang in there Weiss." encouraged Ruby, voice filled with suspense. The grimm then charged at her, intending to overpower her with brute force. Weiss also dashed forward, intending to impale the creature using its own momentum. The grimm wasn't deterred, however, and angled its tusks so Weiss' blade slipped between them, and then it turned to face her again, catching Myrtenaster hilt and locking it in place.

Weiss was flung around, trying to maintain a hold on her weapon, landing in front of the boarbatusk as they each struggled for dominance.

"Bold new approach, I like it." commented Port, thinking it was intended. The grimm and huntress-in-training continued there tug-of-war, neither giving ground. "Come on Weiss, show it who's boss!" said Ruby from the sidelines, trying to inspire her teammate. Weiss turned to glare at her, mouth opening to speak, but the rupture in focus caused her grip to slack, which the grimm took full advantage off. Myrtenaster was viciously yanked from Weiss' hands as it flew through the air, embedding itself in the ground a short distance away. Weiss was violently tossed to the side as the boarbatusk _tusked_ her.

"Hoho, now what will you do without your your weapon?" Port asked rhetorically. 'Engage it in CQC unarmed, and punch it in the gut really hard.' thought Eris, answering the question in her mind. She also noticed Weiss lapse in concentration when Ruby commented again. She just needs to make the connection now.

The grimm charged at Weiss again, attempting to skewer her when she was defenceless. She rolled to the side at the last second, narrowly avoiding injury. She dashed to her weapon, picking it up as the grimm regained its footing, its eyes locked onto her. Ruby again tried to boost her moral, "Weiss, go for its belly!" she said, "There's no armor underneath-"

" **Stop Telling me what to DO!** " Weiss screamed angrily, turning to Ruby, fury and indignation blazing in her eyes. Ruby sunk into her seat with a sorrowful expression, whimpering slightly.

'Ah, there it is.' thought Eris, feeling stupid for not noticing it earlier. Weiss, who was trained since birth to be better than everyone else, to become a strong independent leader, was forced to take orders from a childish teen 2 years her junior. It completely destroyed the system she believed in and probably felt incredibly insulted that she was forced into subjugation. 'We're gonna have to talk about this' thought Eris solemnly, shaking her head in disappointment, although technically it wasn't Weiss' fault.

The boarbatusk charged once more, putting everything it had into its next charge, going for the death blow. It curled into a ball, using circular motion to increase its speed and power, rushing towards Weiss with the strength of a train. Weiss calmly waited until it was within 10 feet of her before activating a defensive glyph, stopping the grimm in its _tracks_ and leaving its vulnerable belly exposed. Weiss hopped onto another glyph , and propelled herself forward with incredible speed.

She slammed Myrtenaster into its stomach, pushing the grimm across the floor with the power behind the strike, before coming to a stop. She fell to her hands and knees, panting in exhaustion and stamina depletion.

"Bravo, BRA-VO! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in training." Port congratulated Weiss on the execution of the grimm. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings and… stay vigilant." Port finished. Ruby had sunk even further into her seat as she tried to escape Weiss glare. "Class dismissed."

Weiss huffed, turning towards the door and leaving. Ruby got up and ran out the door, Eris following silently behind unnoticed. As they left the classroom she dropped into Ruby's shadow to remain undetected. Ruby quickly caught up to Weiss, calling out to her. "What?" asked Weiss exasperatedly. They proceed to exchange words, Weiss saying Ruby was undeserving, and that she should have been leader instead. Eris moved into Weiss' shadow while they were preoccupied.

"Ozpin made a mistake." said Weiss sternly, ending the conversation by walking away. As she moved toward the balcony, Eris was having difficulty trying to make a plan. She was not the greatest with words, rarely able to hold a conversation that's non-work related. She decided to wing it. "Wasn't that a bit harsh?" she asked softly from her shadowy form, choosing to remain hidden. Weiss turned around quickly, trying to find the source of the voice. "Who's there?" she asked cautiously, fingers gripping her weapon.

"Why are you any better than Ruby?" Eris continued, ignoring her question. Weiss still looked around confusedly, before responding, "I don't know what your talking about." she said with hesitation. Eris pressed again, "Why shouldn't Ruby lead your team?"

Weiss stopped trying to find the voice, and just sighed wearily, "Because she is such a brat." she said with irritation lacing her voice, "She's too childish, and inadequate. I should have been the leader of team REWBY."

"And why is that?" Eris gently inquired, trying to console the young white-haired girl. Weiss huffed and crossed her arms, "I studied, I trained, and frankly, I deserve better. Ruby didn't do anything and was chosen instead." she said with a hint of anger. Eris was silent for a moment before softly replying, "She may not have done anything to deserve it, but neither has she done anything not to deserve it."

Weiss glowered at her shadow, clenching her fists and making Eris fear for a moment that she was spotted. "So? She still did nothing to deserve it." she countered. "And you can't think of any reason why you shouldn't be leader?" Eris countered her counter with a bit more firmness. Weiss just scoffed, "I don't need to think of reasons. I already proved I was more capable."

"So you're self-centered then? I thought you wanted to lead your team, or did you just want the title?" Eris asked. Weiss was about to retort but Eris cut her off. "You said it yourself, you studied, you trained, so tell me, why are you undeserving?" She questioned. Weiss didn't answer, opting to remain silent for the voice to explain.

"You are someone who has gotten exactly what they wanted their entire life." Eris continued. "That's not even remotely true." Weiss interjected sternly. There was silence in the air as the statement rung in their ears. "Well, not entirely true." she added after a moment.

"Being a leader isn't just a title, it's a relationship between a leader and their team. Its constant, and not just some toy you can put down at any moment. Do you believe that Ozpin would reconsider his decision with you acting like you are?" Eris spoke as Weiss listened to her words. "Don't be angry, be thankful, of all the things you _Do_ have. Don't worry about the things you don't." Eris gently consoled.

"Your leader is suffering because her teammate won't acknowledge her. Be there, and show that you respect her authority. That you will listen to her judgment. Show her that you care, and that you will be the best person you can be." Eris softly whispered, her voice fading away. Weiss closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, before smiling and opening her eyes, as if she just achieved enlightenment. "Maybe you're right." she replied simply, gazing at the setting sun.

Eris felt Ruby nearby, and she hoped to _Oum_ that they won't screw this up.

She just BS'ed her way through an entire conversation for their sake, she deserves a raise.

 **And cut. There we go, all nice and wrapped up.**

 **Eris' appearance is based off the story image, so use that as reference (if it's working now) to help your imagination.**

 **If you're confused about the whole age/void thing, basically:**

 **She entered another realm of existence when turning into a shadow.**

 **Time only slows down when she's deep inside the realm (such as sleeping in it), not as a sneaky shadow.**

 **She is still aware of what happening around her by** _ **feeling**_ **it.**

 **She is 17-21 mentally and physically, but has existed for longer**

 **When she sinks into the shadows, it's like being underwater, except no water and no pressure. More like being in space.**

 **Think of the time chamber in DBZ, 1 year in there is a 1 day in real life. The void is like that, but backwards. The time frame is less severe too.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: More than I bargained for

 **Here's the next chapter for all ye faithful.**

 **Once volume 1 is complete, and more characters are available for use, we can start getting into more fun stuff. I already got this party planned and everything.**

 **But it's the weekend, so here's an Eris side-story**

 **Wouldn't want to get boring.**

 **Also some spoilers (duh)**

 **Enjoy**

Eris was currently walking in the city of Vale. As part of the agreement, she was allowed to take other jobs on the weekend. If one knows where to look, it can be quite easy to find a job that, not only pays good, but can be enjoyable. She gained a nice stack of Lien (the currency here) from helping a shopkeep track down some delinquents who shoplifted, thinking they could get away with it.

The best part? She got a discount on candy.

Eris pulled out a chocolate bar and, opening it, breathed in through her nose, savoring the delicious smell. Say what you will, but chocolate is sitting on the top of the food pyramid. There is none greater than it. It has a sweetness that cannot be rivaled, and a texture so smooth and silky, you can't take your eyes off it.

She began to nibble on the chocolate bar, taking her time to get the most out of it. Unfortunately, her desire could not be contained and she shoved the entire thing in her mouth. After swallowing and licking the chocolate off her face, she sighed in satisfaction. It didn't matter she devoured it whole, she had more.

She was about to consume another one when she realized she arrived at her destination. Cladded in her cloak, she entered the establishment. It was a nightclub, with flashing red lights and cringe music. There was a decent amount of people present enjoying themselves as Eris made her way to the boss, unseen by any bouncer. She found him by the bar.

She sat in one the chairs and placed a small amount of change on the counter, not saying a word. The man looked at her tentatively, before filling a glass with alcohol and passing it to her. She didn't drink from it, just ran her fingers across the top of the glass, "So, what do you need?" she asked.

The man, a tall person named Junior, casually began to clean a glass, "A man came through here awhile ago, Roman Torchwick. He paid for some hired hands upfront, but none of them ever returned and neither did he. I guess he wasn't happy with them." he explained to her. "I need someone to find him and do something for me."

Eris hummed thoughtfully. 'That was the guy from earlier.' she thought, remembering her first encounter with the man at the dust shop. Junior's guys got beat up by little Ruby, and most likely taken into custody. They were absolute goons but hey, so is Torchwick. "And what would that be?" she asked, wanting to know the objective. Junior sighed, shaking his head, "Lately, we have been seen as less than reliable, and are starting to get pushed around." he explained, remembering the blond huntress-in-training from earlier giving them a thrashing.

"If you could show him that we are not simple tools for him to use and leave a reminder, I would be willing to pay good lien for it." Junior concluded, handing her a card with his insignia on it. He had been losing business ever since the deal with torchwick, and he'd be damned if he let that man get away with it. Eris hummed, sipping from the glass before turning to leave, "Consider it done." she replied softly. The drinks here were terrible.

Junior wanted to be discreet about this, so she was going to need to be fast. A quick in and out. She added Junior to her scroll's contacts, to let him know when the job is done. She exited the nightclub, the two identical girls near the entrance giving her a bored expression before scoffing. Once outside, she merged with the shadows and slithered onto the rooftop. Becoming corporeal once more, she ran along the roofs, jumping from one to another until she reached a particularly tall building.

Eris then merged with darkness again, only this time, she delved deeper into it. Her senses disappearing, being dominated by her sense of feeling. It was a sort of sixth sense, like ESP. As she went deeper, her consciousness started spreading, reaching more of the city. The sheer number of people being sensed was a little overwhelming, but she continued searching. She remembered Roman's feeling from that night, and was searching for its location.

After what felt like hours, she pinpointed his location to an old warehouse. 'Well that's cliche.' Eris thought. Ripping herself from the shadows, she staggered as her senses came back full force. It was always a bit disorientating when she came back from the deep reaches of the void. Regaining her bearings, she made her way towards him. Its likely he has made a base of operations there, but she thought he was more of a freelancer, specifically a master thief.

'So why would he have a base?' she thought, trying to find a reason. It didn't take her long, considering they had the same occupation. If he had a base, then he was working for someone. 'Or _with_ someone.' Eris thought, feeling multiple signatures as she approached the warehouse. She stopped in front of the place, before moving up the building and sliding into a window. Glass couldn't stop light or shadows from moving through it.

Upon entering, she quickly made her way to an occupied area. There were multiple people wearing the same uniform and what looked like crude grimm masks. Eris didn't recognise the red symbol on their backs, and decided to check it out later. She crept along the floor, hidden from sight as she tried to locate Torchwick. She frowned as she realized he was not alone, meaning she was going to need to do some fighting. Finally she felt him beneath her, likely in the basement.

Moving down the building without notice, she realized the amount of dust accumulated here. Whoever his employer is was packing some serious firepower. There was very few things that anyone would need this amount of dust for.

Well, whatever, she had a job to do, and she was going to get it done, regardless if Torchwick was helping to fuel an army. She continued on her way undetected, swiftly arriving at Roman's location.

"-ust… Yes, I will, don't worry...Come on, I'm a professional, I'll get it done. You'll have more dust then you know what to do with…" She heard him say condescendingly as she approached. He was holding a scroll in his hand, likely talking to his employer from the few words she heard/felt. There was a buzzing noise, then Torchwick put the scroll in his pocket. He sighed loudly, "Uuuhh, What doesn't she get about this taking time. I swear, that woman has no patience…" he muttered to himself.

He turned to look a shorter girl with brown and pink hair, "Neo, we're heading into town." Torchwick said with a smirk, moving towards the exit, "The rest of you stay here and guard the merchandise." The girl nodded her head with a grin before falling in line slightly behind him. He was unknowingly headed right for Eris.

Although this would be difficult to end quickly, it was the best time to strike. Maybe She could threaten Junior to pay more because of this.

She ejected her knives from their places under her wrists, sliding them smoothly into her hands. Eris waited until he was right above her before springing up with a devastating jump kick to the face, sending Torchwick tumbling backwards. Not wasting any time, she moved behind him with lightning speed before knocking him to the ground by smashing the back of his head with the hilt of her knives, dropping Junior's card on him as well. It was fortunate she took him by surprise, otherwise his aura would have prevented such a swift defeat

After a stunned silence, Everybody began to swarm her. Not concerned in the slightest, she moved with incredible speed out the doorway, bypassing the defenders. An alarm started blaring, probably to alert the others of her presence, as the uniformed guards started moving about frantically. Eris just agitated the hive.

She moved quickly through the rooms, slicing at a person periodically, until she reached the stairs. She climbed them without breaking her stride. The job was complete, now she just has to evade people on her way out. 'Easier said than done.' thought Eris as she reached the main floor, already being surrounded. The first attacker tried to slice at her with his weapon, but she deftly moved around the attack and kneed him in the stomach, sending him to the ground. Using his prone form, Eris launched herself at the offenders, moving quickly between them, looking more like a whirlwind of black rose petals than a person. Soon, the area was littered with unconscious goons, groaning in pain.

Eris was about to make for the exit, but the small girl from before appeared behind her, going for a swift strike to her abdomen. Eris dodge and counter-attacked her opponent, who parried her blade with a umbrella (Really, an umbrella?). Using the minor distraction of her blade, Eris lashed out with her foot and caught the other girl's legs, causing her to stumble.

She then attacked again, only for the short girl, who she remembered was named Neo, to shatter into pieces. Eris stared confusedly at the spot the girl shattered in, before her body moved on its own accord, her instinct telling her to evade. It was a good thing too, as the girl from before appeared behind her, stabbing the ground where she was less than a second ago and managing to give Eris a small cut on her arm.

That was the problem with Eris' Aura, It could not be used defensively. Everybody used their aura for defense, but she could never manifest her aura to protect her. However, she could use it offensively, such as increasing her speed or attack strength far above what should be possible. That's why she uses such a fast style of fighting, because she has to avoid taking damage if she wanted to survive.

They then engaged in a sequence of attacks, Eris dodging all attacks sent her way, while Neo parried attacks sent by her. This lasted for about 20 seconds before more guards surged into the room, prompting Eris to disengage. She was not very concerned, as she dealt with situations like this all the time, but it would be best to vacate the area before more guards appear. Quickly turning heel, Eris burst through line of guards, taking them down in a flurry of attacks, before sprinting towards the exit.

She was about to make it through, but an explosion caused it to collapse. Eris hit the brakes and slid to a stop, turning around to find another exit. Her eyes caught something else and she growled in irritation. "Well _black_ , what do you think you're doing here, knocking the daylights out of me?" Torchwick asked in a mocking tone, exiting the basement, cane in hand. He also had a bloody and probably broken nose, slowly being healed by his aura.

Maybe she should have hit him harder.

He twirled the card she left on him in his hands, "Let me guess, my little friend wanted to redeem his extra business, so he was desperate enough to send somebody else to do it?" he asked smugly. Eris tensed as all paths of escape were blocked. Torchwick walked forward, "Well, message received, and returning to sender. Kill this fool." he ordered, pointing his cane at her.

At once, Bullets, Dust rounds, and an explosive cane shot flew through the air towards her. Luckily, Eris' reflexes were incredibly sharp, and she was able to merge with the shadows, negating all the damage sent her way. Using the smoke created from all the attacks to her advantage, she maneuvered around everybody, popping up behind them. She ascended up the floors, trying to find her way out, but all the windows were sealed. 'The roof then' thought Eris, as she made here way there.

She reached a locked door, but just slid under it with her semblance, not stopped by such an obstacle. As she neared her destination, the roar of engines could be heard, likely signaling reinforcements. Maybe attacking Torchwick's in the heart of his base was not the best idea. She soon reached the roof, and was immediately blinded by spotlights. " **THERE'S NOWHERE TO RUN!** " a mechanised voice sounded from the bullheads above.

'Who the hell is he working for?' Eris thought curiously. A massive supply of dust is one thing, but multiple bullheads in Vale airspace, not even attempting to hide themselves is another. She must have been going slower than she thought, or she took the long way up, as the grunts from before poured out behind her, as well as Torchwick and Neo. She could hear them priming their weapons, preparing to fire once more.

Eris thought of her plans of action:

Plan A- She could attempt to hide herself in the shadows and bail out, but she didn't want to reveal her semblance. She could be easily identified if she did that, and she didn't want to deal with these guys later.

Plan B- Attempt peaceful negotiations, or engage in combat...yeah, not gonna work here.

Plan C- Unleash Mayhem.

Eris frowned, knowing her only option. She generally didn't mind this option, but using it in the city will definitely garner unwanted attention. It was not the most subtle tactic either, and Junior did say he wanted discretion. Then again she already failed in that regard. Eris grinned, feeling the familiar tugging sensation she felt whenever she did this.

Her eyes began to emit white, wispy smoke-like tendrils of light, hidden beneath her cloak. Rather than let them expand outward, she directed them between her hands, also hidden beneath her cloak. The tendrils began to form a glowing sphere, not changing in size, but becoming denser and brighter. Time seemed to slow down as the people and bullheads around her fired, their bullets moving as slow as a snail.

Eris then smashed her hands together on the sphere, making it implode on itself, causing her to glow brightly. Light seemed to seep from the ground for blocks around, the civilians giving it curious looks. Then suddenly, an immense pillar of light engulfed a part of vale, parting the clouds and lighting up the kingdom. The civilian watched in wonder, the ones inside the pillar feeling oddly warm and comforted. The pillar shone brightly for a little longer before it dissipated. There was a strange silence in the air before the city started buzzing around, trying to find out what happened.

 _7 minutes later_

Eris slowly walked towards beacon, going at a leisurely pace. She was in no hurry. She cradled her left arm slightly, calmly waiting for the laceration to heal, as she didn't want her teammates asking why she was bleeding. Of course, she could come up with a believable excuse, but she didn't feel like lying to them right now. They needed to trust each other, right?

But she didn't need to tell them things they didn't need to know. Plan C may not have been the best idea, but it is certainly effective and the most fun. It is not her quietest method either, and it will definitely be mentioned on news networks, because how often does a massive column of light, bigger than most towns, appear in Remnant's kingdoms?

She already got her payment from Junior, but she didn't answer any questions he had, choosing to leave immediately. She didn't feel like talking about the job technicalities. She felt warm liquid moving down her face, and used the cloak to dry it off. She will need to wash it anyways. There were some drawbacks when using Plan C.

Her head hurt…a lot.

Eris had a killer migraine and it was really souring her mood. Her eyes were also irritated, thought that was likely because they were currently bleeding. When she first started using her ability, she was always rendered unconscious, but with some practice she negated it until it only caused her eyes to bleed when she used it.

She could use it more than once, but that was not the most pleasurable or healthy thing to do. Luckily, she didn't need to, as Torchwick and the goons slept not-so-peacefully on the roof. Her ability could not kill people, only render them incapacitated. Grimm, on the other hand, were completely annihilated.

Eris continued her slow walk until her eyes ceased their bleeding and her headache subsided slightly. Once che made it to Beacon, she merged with the shadows and silently moved toward her dorm. She felt her teammates awake, but unmoving and facing away from the door. She popped up in front of the door, and opened it silently. Her team sat on the ground, watching a news broadcast from one of their scrolls.

" _-appeared out of nowhere, lighting up the sky for miles. The cause is unknown, but specialists say it could be a dust accident. Regardless of the cause, there are no reports of injured, and everything seems normal. If anyone has information on this phenomenon, contact us here at the station, back to you, Cyril."_ A newswoman said, the camera moving to another newscaster.

Eris barely listened, stealthily maneuvering to her bed, duct-taped to Ruby's. She remained unnoticed, but Blake's bow twitched a couple of times. Eris lay down on her bed, not bothering to use or remove the covers, just curling up in her cloak. Her head hurt and she didn't feel like doing anything else.

She exhaled slowly, being consumed by sleep.

 _Mid-Morning_

Eris eyes fluttered open, momentarily blinded by the sun's rays shining through the window. She heard soft breathing and turned to see Ruby fast asleep. She slowly got up and jumped off her bed, landing quietly on her feet. Everybody else was sleeping too, with Yang's covers and pillows thrown about the room. Eris hummed in suppressed laughter before going into the bathroom. Once inside she took in her appearance again. Despite being rested, she looked like a mess. Her maroon hair was dulled and ruffled, bow still secure above her ear (thankfully), her eyes looked a bit bloodshot, and her pale cheeks were stained light red with dried blood.

Her clothes were not faring much better, as her cloak was dirty and the parts near her neck were tinted red. Somehow there were no rips, but her clothes were a bit dirty, with one sleeve tinted red. Eris glanced at the shower, noticing a washing/dryer hybrid right next to it. 'How convenient.' she thought idly. It was high time for clean-up anyway.

She discarded her clothes, placing them in the washer/dryer, removed her weapons from her wrists, and gently taking the small bow out of her hair, placing in by the sink. She then walked towards the shower/bath, stretching and humming in satisfaction as her joints popped. "I deserve some 'Me' time…" she mumbled to herself as she created the perfect water temperature, holding something she acquired earlier in her hand.

00000

While Eris enjoyed her delightful 'Me' time, the rest of REWBY were beginning to awaken. Ruby was the first to wake up, lazily getting out of bed. After climbing down from its ascended position, she searched on her workbench for what she was looking for, grinning when she spotted the silver trinket. She sneakily approached Weiss, as if she was approaching an animal. She gently leaned toward Weiss' head as she began to stir. Blue eyes slowly opened before a loud ring was heard throughout the room. Weiss got out of bed and yawned, removing ear plugs as she did so.

They had all gotten used to Ruby's antics by this point. Blake had also awake by this point and was currently reading a book in her bed, while Yang rolled onto the floor before getting up. "Good morning team REWBY!" Ruby greeted them all. She was already in her standard attire, somehow changing in that small timeframe. They all mumbled their 'good mornings' before they went about their morning routine. Ruby watched them, but realized one was missing.

Popping her head up to her bed, she realized their teammate wasn't there either. "Hey, where's Eris at?" she asked her team. None them answered except for Blake, who pointed at the bathroom door, where steam could be seen puffing from the bottom. "I believe she is taking all the hot water." she said in a bored tone, laced slightly with irritation.

Ruby paused for moment before asking, "When did she get back?"

This time none of them answered, Blake simply shrugging. Eris disappeared after the school days were over, only coming back at night, saying she was doing some part-time jobs. She never told them what she did though. Maybe she knows what that bright light was all about if she was out there.

Suddenly a sharp voice cried out.

"Are you serious!?" shrieked an angry Weiss. Yang approached her, "Whoa Ice Queen, What's got you triggered?" she asked casually. Weiss turned, face red with barely restrained fury, holding up a piece of paper.

-IOU

All the bath salts

3 Eris

Yang read this and grinned, "Wow, you must be pretty _Salty._ " she said while trying and failing to hold back laughter. The others saw this, and Ruby ended up on the ground, clutching her sides and laughing maniacally. Blake raised her hand to her mouth to suppress the giggles coming from her. Weiss stomped to the bathroom door, loudly banging on it, "Do think this is FUNNY!" she shouted at the door. "Those were the _only_ ones I had, you little thief!" she continued angrily.

Nobody could contain their laughter anymore, laughing loudly at Weiss' broken demeanor. Weiss continued to threaten Eris, hurling insults at her, before she walked back to her bed. She then picked up myrtenaster. The others quieted their laughter, suspense filling them as they realized what she was about to do.

Weiss stabbed her rapier into the ground, creating an icy glyph that frosted the ground around it. The frost slipped under the door slowly. The air was filled with silence, everybody holding their breath. After a few moments, a shrill scream was heard from the bathroom, causing the other to both laugh and blush at the image of Eris being frozen in a bath.

"HA! Did you think that you could just get away with that?" Weiss yelled smugly, a grin plastered on her face. "Next time, think TWICE about stealing from me-" she said as a knife pierced partially through door. She jumped back surprised as a nervous sweat drop appeared on her face. The room seeming to lose all noise, leaving them in _Pure_ silence. She turned to look at her team, who barricaded themselves in the corner, watching her through a small peephole.

Weiss turned back to the door, which remained closed. She audibly gulped as the knife was pulled free from the other side. "Um, Eris?" she asked nervously, "You know I didn't mean anything, right?" she tried to talk to her friend. She was met with silence.

Weiss tried again, "I might have...overreacted a bit, but don't you think we-AHHH-" her scream cut off as she was pulled into the floor, her shadow seemingly engulfing her. The rest of team REWBY stared at the spot Weiss previously stood, silence still reigning the air.

"Uhm...Weiss...Eris?" Ruby tried to contact her teammates. "Uhm, please come out...please." she continued timidly. Blake's bow twitched, "I don't like this." she muttered, concerned. Yang stood up, leaving the safety of their fortress, "Alright you two, get out here." she demanded with authority. Nothing happened.

She moved towards the bathroom door cautiously, "Seriously, you guys, come on." she said as she gripped the door handle. With a deep breath she opened the door slowly, steam pouring out, and peeked inside, Ruby and Blake hiding behind her.

Eris was standing by the sink clad in a towel wrapped around her lithe body, brushing her hair. She picked up a small black bow and attacked it to her hair above her right ear. She then turned to Yang, "Oh hi Yang." she said with a smile on her face, "Did you need something?"

Yang smirked at her, about to comment on her lack of clothes, before looking around room and noticing Eris was the only occupant. "Where's Weiss?" she asked. Eris tilted her head slightly, still smiling, "Oh, Weiss? She left..." she said happily. Yang gave a look of confusion, "What do you mean she left?" she asked..

 _Elsewhere_

"HELLO? Eris? Ruby?!" called Weiss. She was in a completely black space, where there was absolutely nothing. She could somehow see and move around, but nothing was there, no sound beside her own voice. "Seriously Eris, this isn't funny." She said angrily, worry creeping into her voice. There was only silence and blackness.

"Anybody…?" she meekly asked again.

 _Back to the Dorm_

Eris stared blankly at Yang. "I have no idea." she lied. "But could you leave, I want to get back into some clothes." she asked politely. Yang closed the door slowly, "uhm...right...ok…" she said cautiously as she closed the door. Eris waited a moment before sighing.

Weiss was gonna pay for ruining the perfect bath. How was it _her_ fault that somebody just left bath salts lying around. They were practically begging to be stolen.

She pulled her clothes out of the washer/dryer and put them on, enjoying their warmth and cleanliness. Donning her signature black cloak, she huffed in satisfaction. Weiss would be fine trapped in the void for a day, as it will only be a few hours for her. Eris didn't put her _too_ deep though, because that would have been too nice. Eris shivered, remembering the icy cold water suddenly enveloping her.

She'll pick her up later, after she learned her lesson.

 **Hows that for a side-story? Did enjoy Eris' escapade?**

 **Also, I promise Weiss will not have permanent mental trauma**.

 **So all we know about silver eye powers is that they are super effective against grimm, and can have a large radius of effect. This means I got a bit of leeway with what I want to do with it.**

 **As for the attack Eris used, it's like what Ruby did in Volume 3, but I made it more controlled, more practiced. It basically functions like Fairy law, and looks like the one Mavis used against Yuri (Fairy Tail anime/manga, I do not own it)**

 **It's a large AOE attack, rendering anyone the caster (Eris) sees as their enemy unconscious, and it completely obliterates low-high level grimm in the area. The cost is a massive headache, and (for Eris) causes their eyes to bleed profusely.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Another Day At Beacon

 **I cannot figure out why the picture won't work, but I will keep trying. If it's there, ignore this message**

 **For my first fanfic, I'm liking the view number, guess it means i'm doing something right.**

 **Takes place a few weeks after the previous chapter.**

 **Enjoy**

Juane was in trouble, he knew this.

He panted as he tried to catch his breath. His opponent was just toying with him, laughing at his inability to beat him.

"Come on…" he said to himself, trying to stay determined. He managed to pick himself up and rush at his opponent. His attack missed as the enemy side-stepped, counter-attacking him with a mace. Juane was sent flying through the air and landed hard on the ground, but he stood back up.

With a battle cry, he charged again, his opponent blocking his attack with the mace. It became a battle of strength as each side pushed against the other. His enemy leaned in.

"This is the part where you lose." said Cardin Winchester mockingly. Juane growled at him, Over my dead-uhhg" he tried to say before receiving knee to the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He fell on his back, clutching his stomach in pain. Cardin raised his mace, ready to deliver the final blow. A buzzer rang as he was about to unleash his attack.

"Cardin, That's enough." said Goodwitch sternly, walking forward. "Students, as you can see Mr. Arc's aura has now dropped into the red. In a tournament style duel…" she continued to explain to them yet again the rules of fighting in the class. Eris sighed in annoyance. Despite how many times Glynda had explained this to them, people always end up almost breaking the rules.

"Mr. Ark, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your scroll during combat. Gauging your aura will help you decide when it is appropriate to attack. Or when it is better to move to a more… defensive strategy." Goodwitch berated Juane for his poor judgement. Eris had to hold back laughter at Glynda's advice, as she couldn't actually gauge her aura due to its lack of defensive properties.

"We wouldn't want you to be gobbled up by a beowulf, now would we?" Goodwitch concluded with mild disappointment. "Speak for yourself." mocked Cardin, sounding very similar to a bowler-hat-wearing thief.

Glynda ignored the comment. "Remember everyone! The Vytal Festival is only a few months away. It won't be long before students from the others kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing!" she reminded the class, causing most them to move around in excitement. "Those who choose to compete in the tournament will be representing all of Vale." she said as the lunch bell rang.

The class funneled out as Juane dejectedly stayed sitting for awhile longer.

 _At lunch_

"So...There we were...In the middle of the night (It was day)...We were surrounded by Ursai (Beowolves)...DOZENS OF THEM (two of'em)...But they were no match and in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!" Nora concluded her dream-vision.

Ren sighed, "She's been having this reoccurring dream for nearly a month now..." he explained to the rest of JNPR and REWBY. Jaune didn't react at all, just toyed with his food in thought.

"Jaune…" Pyrrha tried to ask, "Are you ok?" Juane did not respond immediately, but he jumped in surprise a few seconds later. "Huh? Oh Yeah! Why?" he tried to play off his behavior. Ruby decided to also voice her concerns, "It's just that you seem a little…" Ruby tried to find a nice way to say it, " _not_ okay." Everybody else looked at Jaune, also noticing his odd behavior. Eris merely glanced at him. 'He seems depressed.' she thought idly, remembering being in such a state.

"Guys, i'm fine...seriously, look!" Jaune said half-heartedly, giving them a failed smile. Mocking laughter was heard nearby and the two teams, par Eris, looked to find out what it was. Eris didn't look because she already knew. A rabbit faunus was being picked on by team CRDL for her heritage.

Pyrrha noticed Juane's forlorn look, "Juane, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school." She called him out. Jaune turned to her surprise, "Who? Cardin Winchester?" he asked, trying to play dumb, "Nah..He just likes to mess around, you know? Practical jokes!"

Ruby gave him a stern look, "He's a bully." she said in a tone that left little room for argument. Jaune laughed nervously, "Oh please...name one time he's 'Bullied' me…" he asked while making air quotes.

"There was the time he broke your scroll by smacking it onto the floor" reminded Yang.

"There was also the time he opened your shield, getting it stuck in a doorway" added Blake.

"There was also the time Cardin almost stuck you in a locker." said Ruby, "You would have ended up in the forest if Eris wasn't next to you."

Eris grinned at that.

Oh yes, she has experience with Cardin's bullying, but she showed him how things work in Mistral.

 _Flashback_

Eris was in the middle of heading to her next class, but had to make a pit stop at her locker/stash for a quick chocolate break. Before she could reach it Cardin and his team stepped out in front of her, blocking her route. "And what are you doing here all alone, pretty thing?" he asked mockingly. "Don't you know it's-" he didn't' get any farther as he was suddenly on the ground, his crotch flaring in pain.

Eris stared at him with an unamused expression before stepping over his down figure. The rest of his team would have tried to move, but they too found themselves on the ground, holding onto their crotches as their minds were overwhelmed.

Eris munched on some chocolate, watching the 4 figures writhe in pain.

Never come between her and chocolate, unless it's dark chocolate.

That stuff is nasty.

 _A few days later_

"Cardin Winchester" called Glynda, "Your opponent for this match will be...Eris." she called again. Both students walked to the stage, Cardin smirking while Eris held a blank look. They stood across from each other on the arena floor. "Let the match...begin." announced Goodwitch. Team RWBY watched closely, having never seen Eris fight before.

"What weapon do you think she use? A sword? A hammer? A SCYTHE?" asked Ruby as she drooled at the prospect of seeing her teammates weapon for the first time. Yang shrugged, "I dunno." she admitted.

"Well," commented Weiss, "It better not be something as impractically heavy as yours." she said, looking at Ruby.

Cardin rushed towards Eris who deftly moved around him, her speed invisible to most people. "Woah, did you guys see that?" asked Yang. "I could barely follow her movement." admired Blake, watching curiosly.

Ruby puffed her chest up, "I could see it!" she exclaimed proudly. Of course she could see it, she was used to moving at high speeds due to her semblance.

Cardin came to a stop, and did a horizontal strike with his mace. Eris casually backed up, out of its range. He tried again, this time attacking vertically. Again, she moved to the side, out of its range. Cardin growled in frustration, before sending a volley of attacks at her. Slash, poke, whirl, lunge, he attacked relentlessly. Each and every attack failed as Eris moved smoothly around them, her cloak hugging her closely so it wouldn't be damaged.

"Stop dodging and FIGHT!" Cardin yelled at her with a irritated smirk, "Or are you just scar-" he tried to taunt her, before keeling over in pain. His aura flickered into the yellow as he tried to stay on his feet. Half the class laughed, while the other half cringed at the sight of Cardin's manhood being exploited against him.

Eris kicked her leg out a bit, as if to remove some stiffness, "What?" she innocently asked. Glynda adjusted her glasses, "Eris, please...keep your attacks above the belt." she said calmly. Eris looked at her and formed an 'ok' symbol with her hand, "No problem." she said softly. Cardin regained his composure and looked at her with hatred.

"Grrrrr" he growled at her as he raised his weapon for another horizontal attack. Eris crouched underneath it and flicked his nose, causing him to stagger in shock. Eris shuffled for a moment before rolling backwards. She stood up and taunted him to come at her. Cardin's rage reached a boiling point as he charged at her again, raising his weapon for a devastating strike. He would have continued forward if his pants hadn't suddenly fallen down. He stopped and looked down in shock, but before he could even question it, a fist quickly jabbed his crotch.

 _Hard_.

He was sent back a few feet from the impact, and his aura completely shattered. He landed on the ground, mouth open in a silent scream. The whole class was silent as Glynda walked forward, "Eris, I said _above_ the belt." she scolded harshly.

Eris looked at her in confusion, "But he's not wearing a belt." she said, holding up Cardin's belt that she took off him. At that moment the entire class erupted in laughter as they realized the loophole she used, the males also crossing their legs in sympathy. Glynda stared at her for a moment before sighing. "Eris, oh Eris, What are we gonna do with you?"

"Give me a raise for my excellent performance?" she suggested quietly for Glynda to hear.

The deputy headmistress face-palmed.

Once, Ozpin asked what Eris did with all the Lien she accumulated from her jobs. She said "Don't worry about it." He also asked her about the pillar of light. She said "Definitely wasn't me."

She always kept her hood up unless she was only with her teammates, so nobody else ever saw her eye color. She was being "tactically smart". Or at least that's what she keeps telling herself.

 _Present_

Cardin and his crew learned quickly that she was not some lowly student for them to pick on, and if they tried to harass her, they would end up in a world of pain and humiliation. Team CRDL would unconsciously cross their legs whenever she was near them.

Did they not consider using a crotch guard? Or any sort of armour?

Sadly, that was the extent of what she could do. Anything more and Glynda or Ozpin would be forced to take action. Eris wasn't one to needlessly get in trouble (100% true), but that also meant other students were still victim to Cardin's bullying.

"Jaune, you know if you ever need help you can just ask…" Pyrrha tried to support him. "OOH! We'll break his legs!" suggested Nora enthusiastically, cracking her knuckles. Jaune stood up from his spot, "Guys, really, it's fine. Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me; he's a jerk to everyone."

As if to prove his point, a small yelp of pain was heard near them, with Cardin holding onto a Rabbit Faunus' bunny ear.

"Please stop…" she asked politely as they laughed at her. "I told you it was real!" Cardin said to his teammates as he pulled Velvet's ear again. His teammates chuckled some more, with one of them commenting that she was a freak. Velvet shrunk away from their insults in sadness. They would have continued to mock her if they didn't suddenly feel a chill down their spine.

Cardin released Velvet's ear as she made a hasty escape. They knew this feeling all too well. Team CRDL let out a few nervous laughs as they felt Eris' silver gaze pierce their souls. They couldn't see her, but they could feel her watching with contempt.

Pyrrha watched the retreating form of Velvet rubbing her ear to ease some pain. "Atrocious." she stated venomously, "I can't stand people like him."

"He's not the only one." Blake said,glaring daggers at CRDL with disgust.

It was the sad truth.

Yang sighed, resting her head in the palm of her hand. "It must be hard to be a Faunus." she sympathised.

'Oh you have no idea.' thought Eris. Here in Vale, Racist were still present, but it was rarely ever violent. In Mistral, it was relatively the same inside the city, but once outside…

Well, lets just say if you can't defend yourself, your safety is not guaranteed.

Eris finished the chocolate bar she was currently munching on and sighed, mildly disappointed that it was gone. It didn't matter as she had an near-endless supply of them, but it was still a loss.

00000

"Yes! Yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution, more popularly know as the Faunus War," droned a man with wild green hair who may or may not be suffering from a sugar rush. "Humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing Faunus population in Menagerie" the teacher, Professor ( _Doctor_ ) Oobleck, continued.

'Ahh, Menagerie…' thought Eris nostalgically. The populated areas of that continent were pretty much paradise. It was one of her favorite vacationing spots, even if she drew strange looks from the Faunus with a good sense of smell. They could tell she was not a Faunus, and she never saw any other humans. It was a shame, really, as they have good coconut milk.

Oobleck took a sip from his coffee. "Now!" he exclaimed, "While this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these a relatively recent events! Why the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day." He said while zipping around the room.

He than asked any Faunus if they have been discriminated because of their heritage, with a few hands shyly going up. "Dreadful, simply dreadful. You see students it is exactly this kind of ignorance that breeds violence." Oobleck explained, taking another sip of his coffee.

"I mean, I mean, I mean," he tried to say through his sugar-induced drunkenness, "just look at what happened to the White Fang!"

Oh yes, Eris figured out those were the guards at the warehouse. They were in Mistral too, but they didn't exactly look like military personnel. They were more of a peaceful movement there. The White Fang here, however, was packing some heat. They also seem to enjoy the violence they cause, so they must be a renegade sector. She didn't really like either group, as one was homicidal and the other made her skin itch.

"Now!" he said for the _n_ th time, "Who among you can tell me what was the turning point in the third year of the war?" asked Oobleck. Weiss raised her hand, "The battle at Fort Castle." she answered attentively as Eris sneakily copied her notes. "Precisely! AND, who can tell me he advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces?" he asked

It was also at this time that Jaune was unfortunate enough to be awoken. "Hey!" he complained as he got up. Doctor Oobleck flew to his desk in a way that caused Juane to skid backwards a little. "MR. ARK!" he called loudly even though he was right in Jaune's face. He then asked Juane a question he had no idea about.

Pyrrha tried to give him clues, but he just couldn't get it. "Binocular!" Jaune said, trying sound confident. His classmates snickered, before Oobleck silenced them. "Very funny, Mr. Ark." He said disappointedly as he turned to another student. "Cardin! Perhaps you would care to share your thoughts on the subject!" he called out. Cardin smiled, "Well," he started in a smug tone, "I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier." he answered.

'Have you ever tried teaching a cat?' Eris mentally questioned, twirling a part of her maroon hair between her fingers. She wasn't particularly bothered by racists, considering there were a lot in everyday life, but her teammates, par Weiss, seem to grit their teeth at Cardin's answer, especially Blake.

"You're not the most open-minded of individuals, are you Cardin?" asked Pyrrha in a slightly irritated tone. Cardin turned to face her, "What? You got a problem?" he questioned/threatened the red haired woman. "

No," she said, "I have the answer."

"Its night vision. Many Faunus are known to have nearly perfect sight in the dark." she answered formally, with Cardin growling in irritation. Eris herself did not have night vision, but could still maneuver dark places with ease, thanks to her semblance.

"General Lagun was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep." added Blake, supporting Pyrrha. "His massive army was outmatched, and the general was captured."

"Perhaps if he's paid attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as such a failure." Blake continued, obviously referencing Cardin. 'Weiss pays attention for me.' thought Eris as she closed her eyes in boredom. Cardin moved to get out of his seat. "Mr. Winchester! Please take your seat." said Oobleck sternly. Juane failed to hold back a laugh at Cardin getting dissed.

"You and Mr. Ark can both see me after class for additional readings." he said as he drank more coffee. Jaune groaned in disappointed. The bell rang at that moment, "Moving on, class dismissed." said Oobleck as the class moved out the door. Pyrrha stopped outside the door, motioning for her team to go on without her.

Eris let out a sigh of satisfaction at class ending. With that out of the way, she made her way to her next destination. But the first thing she had to do was figure out her next destination. She contemplated this as she subconsciously unwrapped a chocolate bar.

She didn't have any more classes, and it would be a few hours before she felt ready for bed (She was more of a night person). She didn't have any homework, due to just copying off Weiss (Thx Weiss, I 3 U), and she didn't have any plans. Therefore, there was one valid option.

Eris made her way to the training room, stopping to change into her usual attire on the way, because the uniform was to form-fitting for her liking. There was nobody there when she arrived, and she blacked out any cameras in the room by smacking them. Didn't want Ozpin watching her destroy his training room, that would be bad for her career.

As it turns out, Huntsman Academies had a simulation room, where students could fight against replicated grimm. It could only simulate basic beowolves, ursa, boarbatusk, and an alpha beowulf. Or at least, that's what the instruction manual says.

Throwing the manual to the side, Eris walked up to the controls and 'expertly' operated the hardware until the simulation began, meaning she pressed random buttons until something happened. The area began to flicker until it resembled a forest. Eris moved towards the center and waited. Soon, simulated grimm appeared, slightly blocky but still fierce.

Eris ejected her knives from their wrist-holisters and slipped them into her small hands. The first of the grimm, a beowulf, rushed at her with its armed outstretched, but Eris just moved back slightly and then sliced it in half as she dashed forward. She flipped over an ursa, running her blades along its hide, and landed on another beowulf.

Th beowulf tried to grab at her but she plunged a blade into its throat. She jumped into the air as the ursa lunged at her. She began to rotate vertically before spinning at the ursa, cleaving it in two, and continued forward, splitting a line of grimm into halves. At this point, the simulation began to up the ante as more grimm spawned. Eris hopped into the tree line, becoming invisible to the grimm below.

As they looked up, trying to find her, she popped out the ground, silently stabbing every boarbatusk's stomach while they were distracted. It was a cheeky tactic, but was very effect against them, as she could just pop up and insta-kill them quickly. Apparently, the dying grimm were very noticeable, as the other grimm turned to her. Not deterred, Eris moved forward and began to rapidly eviscerate the grimm in the area in a flurry of movement to fast for the simulated grimm to perceive, causing a few black rose petals to appear as she slipped in and out of the shadows rapidly.

Eris landed softly on the ground as the last grimm fell. The simulation was not over, however, as the trees in the middle disappeared and a large beowulf appeared, adorned with intricate bones around its body. It roared in defiance and waited for her to attack. It was smarter, and knew it needed to prioritize defense for now. She indulged it and ran forward, the alpha watching her approach cautiously. As she neared, it lashed out with its claws, trying to attack to fast for her to dodge.

It didn't work ,as Eris merely twister her slender body out of harm's way and used the alpha's arm as a propellant. Using her aura to increase her attack, she smashed her blades into the beowulfs eyes, effectively blinding it. She left her knives in its face and backflipped off it. She landed and gained a sprinter's stance. The beowulf grabbed furiously at its eyes, trying to dislodge the weapons from its face.

Eris moved forward with incredible speed and kicked the alpha's left leg, dismembering it from the sheer force behind the attack. Putting her hand on the ground, she quickly turned around and kicked the beowulf again, this time in the back of the head, dislodging the knives. The beowulf fell forward, but caught itself. As it tried to remain in its upright posture, Eris calmly collected her weapons. She walked up the downed alpha and crouched as black rose petals swirled around her. For a few moments, she disappeared from sight, but appeared again behind the beowulf.

Or what was left of it.

The simulated alpha looked more like shredded cheese than a grimm, sporting multiple deep lacerations across its entire body structure. The creature disappeared into particles as Eris stretched and pulled down her hood, having finally worked out the kinks she accumulated throughout the day. The forest disappeared and was replaced by the metal training room. A lone screen began to flash, before presenting her score.

Time- [1:32]

Huntsman- [1]

Difficulty (Max. 4)- [2]

Aura level- [undefined]

Total Grimm defeated- [50]

Beowolves- [26]

Boarbatusk- [14]

Ursa- [10]

Alpha Defeated- [Yes]

Rank- [9/10]

She never set a benchmark for this, and didn't have anything to compare it to, but she was disappointed she didn't get a perfect score. Shrugging, Eris sheathed her curved knives and adjusted the small bow in her hair. She successfully used a couple minutes of her time, but she still had a few hours left. She Mentally debated whether she should toy with it some more and try to beef up the difficulty, but decided against it.

In the end she gave up and decided to head back to her dorm. Maybe Blake had a book she could read. With that motivational thought in mind, she sunk into the shadows and leisurely headed back. Almost everybody was in their dorms getting ready for sleep at this time, so she didn't expect to see anybody.

And she didn't until she neared her room. "...team deserves a great leader, Jaune." she heard Ruby say, "And I think that can be you." She slowed as they came into 'view' (She couldn't actually see them from the shadows). "Have a good night, Jaune." Ruby said in goodbye before entering her dorm room. Jaune got up and was about to enter his dorm too, but his scroll beeped, indicating he has a message.

He pulled out his scroll and opened it, playing the message. Eris moved beside him and slid out of the void, Jaune not noticing her appearance. "Hey! It's your buddy Cardin." said the mocking voice of the bully, "I know you're probably busy with that dust project I gave you, buuut I'm gonna need you to go out and get me a bunch of rapier wasps. And make sure they've got some reaaally big stingers. It's important, so don't screw this up!" the message finished, causing Jaune to gasp in shock at the demand. He put the scroll away with a forlong sigh and turned to exit the building, accidently walking into Eris.

"Oof, sorry." he said reflexively, before realizing there was another person right next to him. "OH, uhh, hey. Sorry, I was going to…" he tried to explain, before looking at the person he bumped into. A short girl with maroon hair and silver eyes that seemed to glow was looking at him in curiosity. For a split-second, Jaune thought Ruby had come back out, but he realized the girl was not Ruby. "uum, hi, do I know you?" he asked tentatively.

Eris just stared at him, 'How do you not remember me?' she thought confusedly. Ruby introduced her to them weeks ago, and he just now asked who she was. Jaune continued to look at her with a nervous look. "Well, I, uhh, have to go, sooo…" he said as he slid past her. Eris just watched him go in befuddlement. She then realized why he didn't recognise her.

She had her hood down.

Nobody has ever actually seen her face besides team REWBY, so they had no idea what she looked like.

'Oops' she thought as she face-palmed. Perhaps if she had her hood on she could have inquired why he became Cardin's lapdog. Shrugging, Eris used her semblance to slide under the door, popping up on the other side. Who even uses doors anymore?

Her teammates were already in bed, with Blake looking for something and Ruby's bed/fort glowing slightly. Blake glanced at her, "Your back earlier than usual." she noted. Eris hummed in acknowledgement, moving onto her bed. She pulled herself up and reached behind her pillow, pulling out a book she had decided to read.

She opened to the first page. The story seemed innocent enough, with a girl leaving the safety of her village to become a ninja.

 _10 minutes later_

Blake was beginning to panic, as she had no idea where she left her book. It would be disastrous if anybody else found out she owned a copy of it. She had been searching for it for the past hour, but her search yielded nothing. She couldn't give up though, because if someone found it, she would be-

 _Shuffle_

Blake's heart stopped at the sound of shuffling paper. She slowly turned around to the sight of Eris holding a book by its side, with a picture rolling out of it. If it was possible for Blake to cease to exist, she would have chosen this moment as she watched Eris look at the picture. Her soul turned to stone as Eris' silver eyes met her own yellow ones.

ಠ_ಠ

Blake's unconscious body fell backwards onto her bed with a thump. Eris closed the book and put it back under her pillow, as she wasn't done with it yet. She curled her body up and snuggled into her cloak, enjoying its comforting presence.

She sunk into the shadows to once again enjoy a weightless reality where nothing exists. No problems, no worries. However, she was forced to return when Eris felt something calling her name softly and poking the spot she sunk into. She resurfaced and turned onto her back, gazing at Ruby.

"Hey," Ruby greeted, "Sorry for, uh, bringing you out of your...shadowy place...thing." she apologized, knowing Eris' sleeping habits.

Eris looked at her with curiosity, waiting for Ruby to continue. "It's just that...you disappear a lot and don't really hang out with us." Ruby stated, "Are you alright? Or do we bother you?" she finished with concern in your voice.

Eris was a bit confused, but thought back to all the times she went off by herself to do things. "Your fine." she waited a moment, "You don't have to worry." she said in her usual soft voice. Ruby didn't seem fully convinced, giving her a look that held a bit of worry. Eris tried to alleviate this.

"I'm just more of a...lone wolf, I guess." she tried to explain, "I didn't have any teams before coming to Beacon." Of course, she did jobs with others, but they barely worked as a team. It was more of a free-for-all where they didn't hit each other.

"Didn't you have any friends to work with you?" asked Ruby, "Or family?"

Eris shifted her gaze to the ceiling, her usually bright eyes seemingly dulling. "...Not for a long time." she said after a few moments. Ruby stared at Eris, her concerns increasing rather than decreasing. "What happened?" she asked gently.

Eris didn't answer. She just continued looking at the ceiling with a lost look

"Well, whatever happened… we're a team now, so you don't need to go by yourself. We care about you, ya know." Ruby stated, then paused, "Except maybe Weiss."

Eris huffed in amusement, her eyes returning to their usual brightness. It almost seemed unnatural to Ruby, their brightness.

"She does what she does, and the past is the past. No point in lingering on it." said Eris curling back into her cloak. Ruby sighed, "You really are a mystery sometimes." she said wearily, before moving under her covers. "If you ever have troubles, please come to us, ok?" she said as she turned off her light-source. "It's my job as leader to make sure we are together and happy."

"I will, I will..." said Eris lazily sinking into the shadows.

It's been so long since anybody thought of her well-being. It would have been heart-warming if it wasn't for all the memories that came flooding back.

How she wished things could have gone differently. Life was so simple back then.

 **There you go, some nice team bonding (kinda) and some new Eris lore, so that's fun.**

 **Once we get some conflict, then the story will get REAL fun.**

 **Im hoping to wrap up volume 1 in the 2 more chapters, then take a small break for planning. Worry not, for I will have a small interlude to tide you over (** _ **cough**_ **-Party-** _ **cough**_ **).**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Blast from the Past

 **Eris is slightly taller than Ruby, but looks shorter because Ruby has pretty big boots and Eris doesn't wear shoes.**

 **Ruby's cloak is pinned in front and is thin, while Eris' cloak wraps around her neck and is thicker, easily able to conceal her.**

 **They are not the same design**

 **I also have decided on what I want Eris' age to be.**

 **Enjoy**

 _It was a bit breezy today, but the sun was shining, bathing the village in a blanket of warmth. A girl no-older than 12 was moving down the small dirt road, wearing a black cloak that was way too big for her. She seemed to be riding a mule pulling a wagon filled with different metals._

 _As she approached a wooden building, a large man wearing a brown apron, who looked equally muscular and fat, stepped out from it with his arms crossed. He smiled at the young girl, slowly shaking his head. "Did they make you bring that here yourself again?" the man asked._

 _The girl beamed at him with silver eyes, "They said you would give me some treats if I did." she chirped happily. The man laughed, "Of course they would say that. Alright, bring that out back and I'll see what I got." he told the girl, who moved the wagon around to the back of the building._

 _She dismounted the mule and landed gently on her bare feet. She scratched behind her ear, letting out a sigh as she plopped down, leaning against the wagon._

 _A few minutes later, the man came back out, holding a rectangular object. "I got a little something-something for you when I visited the city." he said handing her the object. The girl expression lit up like the stars at night as she quickly opened the object, before greedily shoving the whole thing in her mouth._

 _The man couldn't help but laugh at the girls display of childishness as she attempted to chew the chocolate bar he gave her. After a minute or so, she finally managed to swallow it all without choking, although she had a chocolate rim around her mouth. The man took out a handkerchief and started wiping the girl's mouth clean._

 _The girl gave him a innocent smile, nervously rubbing the back of her head. "Oops." she said as she hiccuped. "I know how much you love chocolate, so I grabbed some when I left the city." The man said as he checked his watch. "Hey, aren't you suppose to help Mabel with her apples at noon?" he asked the girl._

" _Yeah, why?" the girl curiously wondered. The man smirked at her, "It's 11:58 right now. She's gonna be expecting you soon." the man informed her. The girl quickly shot up, "Uh-oh, gotta go bye!" she yelled as she sped away in a cartoonish manner, somehow not tripping on her cloak. The man watched her for moment before huffing in amusement._

 _The young girl swiftly arrived at her destination, as the village wasn't that big. The small house had smoke puffing out of its chimney when the girl knocked on the door lightly. She swung her arms around a little bit before the door opened, revealing a elderly woman. "Oh hello deary. You sure don't like arriving late." she said, noting the girls deeper than-usual-breaths._

" _Sorry, I had to stop by the forge to drop off some shiny metals." the girl apologized, before hugging the woman gently. The woman brought them to the side of the house, next to a set of trees. "If You could be a dear and collect some apples for me, I would appreciate that." the woman said, handing the younger a large basket. "Oh, and make sure you only grab the red ones. The green ones aren't ready yet." she added_

" _I know, just like last year, right?" the young girl asked, looking up at the older woman who nodded. "Mhmm, just like last year, but please don't eat them yet, I need to freshen them up." the woman said as the small girl moved toward the apple trees._

 _It took about an hour to collect them all, but in the end, only 3 apples were eaten (no regrets). The girl returned to the house and informed the woman that she was finished. "Already? You kids these days move so fast I couldn't keep up with you." The woman said humorously. "You didn't eat any apples did you?"_

" _...no...maybe." The girl mumbled uncertainly. The woman gave her a stern look. "Young lady, I can read you like a book, don't you lie to me." she stated. The girl looked down shuffling her feet, "Yes, sorry." she apologised sadly._

 _There was a moment of silence before the old woman laughed and ruffled the girl's maroon hair, "Oh, i'm not mad. I knew you would end up eating a few anyways." the woman said, making the girl puff her cheeks indignantly._

" _Are you gonna be sleeping outside again? You know none of us in town would mind if you wanted to stay inside. It gets cold at night." The woman asked with a hint of concern. The girl tilted her head, "But I like it outside." she reasoned. The woman sighed, "I know, but you should have a home and a nice warm bed to come back to."_

 _The girl scoffed, "I can take care of myself." she said defensively, crossing her arms and looking to the side. The woman got up from her chair and went over to the kitchen, "Well at least stay for lunch." she asked politely. The girl continued to avoid eye contact, "I don't wanna." she said firmly._

 _The woman sighed, "Oh, that's too bad, I guess somebody else with have to eat the chocolate fudge I made." She said dramatically. The girl stiffened at this statement._

 _After a few moment her form began to shake slightly, before she completely broke her demeanor and ran into the kitchen, "I'm kinda hungry, so i guess I can stay." she said, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself._

00000

"Yes students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful," said professor Goodwitch to the class as they moved through the red forest. "But we're not here to sightsee. Professor Peach asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside the forest."

"And I'm here to make sure that none of you die while doing so." she finished

Eris wasn't paying much attention, instead choosing to reminisce on her past. Ruby's concern for her was normal, but for some reason, it brought back memories. She reminded her of home.

"...We will rendezvous back here at four o'clock. Have fun!" said Glynda humorlessly.

Eris was knocked out of her thoughts as Yang shook her shoulder, "Hey, no _loli_ gagging." she said, referencing her small and youthful appearance. Eris merely shrugged, "I think that's more of Blake's thing." she said, brushing off the pun, while Yang looked at her with confusion.

"What? What does that mean?" she asked before turning to Blake, who paled and began stuttering. "I-uh-uhm, well,uhm, you see, uh," she tried to say, before loudly coughing. "I-I think she meant Ruby, not me." she said while looking at Eris with pleading eyes.

She decided to be merciful.

"Oops, yeah, I meant Ruby." Eris said, causing Blake to release the breath she had been holding. Yang looked between them with frown, not sure what she was missing. She may have asked more questions if Ruby hadn't shouted at them to get a move on.

And so they made haste to the sap-bearing trees.

00000

 _It really was a cold night, but that didn't bother her. She just snuggled into her cloak, enjoying its warmth. She decided to sleep underneath a tree in the center plaza, as that was her favorite spot. The dirt there was soft and didn't stick._

 _She didn't need any warm beds or houses, she was independent, she could survive on her own. That didn't mean she didn't love all of the village people for offering, but she never liked getting their charity. She worked for what she got._

 _Except when chocolate is involved._

 _That got her every time, no-matter the circumstance. They knew it too, and took full advantage of it, giving it to her at every chance. It made her angry that they continuously treated her like a child that couldn't fend for herself._

 _She didn't know it, but she became something of a town pet. Everybody there treated her like one of their own, because she was always helping out and pitching in. They also felt remorse for her._

 _She was just a baby when her parents passed away, and had nobody else to look after her. They all took turns taking care of her, but once she was old enough to reason, she rejected their free care, insisting that she work for it._

 _She was the only child in the village, and she brought happiness and joy to all who seen her. And as happy she was to make their lives better, and as much as they care for her, she couldn't help but feel…_

 _Lonely._

00000

Eris adjusted the bow in her hair as she filled a jar full of the sweet sap that these trees were famous for. Their mission was to collect sap for Professor Peaches class, and bring it back to the school.

Speaking of missions…

When she accepted this job, she knew it would not be action filled, but it's been weeks and nothing has happened to team RWBY to garner her attention. They just had normal student lives. Maybe she'll ask Ozpin about it later, but right now, she was mentally debating a decision.

Eat the sap, or don't eat the sap.

She didn't want to do it here in front of everybody else, as she was afraid she might begin to tear-up from emotions. However, she really wanted to eat the sap, as it smelt great and was told it was delicious.

Eris sighed in defeat, 'For old time's sake.' she thought as she brought the jar to her mouth.

It was simply _Delectable._ It was like a less addictive version of chocolate. Luckily, she didn't tear up, and her throat didn't get scratchy due to the nature of the sap. Life was good.

Or it was, until her sharp senses detected a faint rumbling in the ground. 'Probably a grimm.' she thought, looking around, 'Angry boarbatusk maybe.'

She couldn't see anything, but she could definitely hear a roar of an ursa. "OR an ursa." she mumbled to herself. Apparently the others heard this too, as Ruby perked up. "Did you guys hear that?" she asked. Scanning the area.

"I _felt_ that." replied Eris, moving alongside her. At that moment, three figures emerged from the foliage, running like the hound of hell were after them.

"URSA! URSA!" shouted one of them, Eris moving out of the way to let him pass. Yang did not move however, "What! Where?" she asked, grabbing the teen by the scruff of his shirt. He pointed back the way he came, "Back there, it's got Cardin!" he shouted fearfully.

Pyrrha gasped in realization, "Juane!" she said worriedly, catching Ruby's attention. "Yang, you and Blake go find Goodwitch, Pyrrha, Eris, and I will go save Juane." she ordered. Yang nodded before heading out, Blake hot on her heels. Ruby nodded to Pyrrha, "Alright lets-" she paused, noticing the lack of black-cloaked figures. "Wait, Wheres-

00000

Eris moved a soon as she heard "URSA.", heading in the direction of thumping. It didn't take long to find the source.

Cardin was getting chased by an Ursa that looked like it was on a mission, chasing after him with fervor rarely seen in grimm. 'That ursa can jump.' she thought as she witnessed it barrel into the air before landing in front of a running Cardin, knocking him on his back. He tried to crawl away, his fear only enticing the grimm more.

Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha showed up just as the ursa was about to maul Cardin. They would have witnessed the bully's death that moment if it wasn't for Juane blocking the attack with his shield.

Eris lowered herself to the ground as Jaune began to battle the ursa, getting flung around like a party balloon. After a particularly hard hit, he looked at his scroll, noticing his aura was in the red. He then recklessly charged the ursa, who readied an attack.

'Like, what even is a defensive strategy?' Eris thought as Jaune ignored Goodwitch's advice yet again. "Well, at least he looked at his scroll" she mumbled, getting ready to intervene if needed. But as it turns out, her help wasn't required as Juane somehow blocked the attack and returned it by decapitating the grimm.

"Wait, what?" she asked herself as Jaune stood victoriously. "Did he just _win_ a fight?"

"Uh, what?" Ruby asked with the same look of confusion.

"How did you…?" Weiss started to ask as Pyrrha lowered her arm. "Well," Pyrrha began, "Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs, Eris has...whatever she does, and my semblance is polarity." she finished.

Ruby looked at her fascination, "You can control poles…" she said quietly in awe.

"No, that's actually _pole_ arity." said Eris idly. Weiss looked at her like she just fueled a fire. Eris returned her look, "...I've seen it before." she supported her claim. Weiss scoffed and started walking away with her hands up. "I actually have control over magnetism." Pyrrha told Ruby.

"Magnets are cool too-Hey wait! Where are you going?" asked Ruby as Pyrrha began walking away. "We gotta tell them what happened."

Pyrrha looked her with a smile, "We could…" she started. Eris knew where she was going with this, "Or we could not." finished Eris sinking into the shadows and slipping into Ruby's shadow. Ruby jumped around a little bit, "Ehh, thats so weird…" she mumbled to herself. Her shadow flickered in response.

00000

"Why, hello Eris," greeted Ozpin, "I wasn't expecting a visit today." he said warmly. Eris shrugged, "I actually had few questions for you." she told him softly. Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "Oh? What did you want to discuss." he asked curiously.

Eris looked at him, eyes concealed by her hood, "Ever since I got here, life has been normal, dramatic maybe, but normal." she said, "You asked me to guard 4 students right? What exactly am I guarding them from?"

Ozpin drank from his mug, "That's one of the many questions I don't know the answer to." he said in a slightly regretful tone.

"You don't even know." stated Eris surprised. Ozpin shook his head. "I know that they will be in danger. Perhaps not now, but someday, before they graduate...something will happen. I know it will." said Ozpin solemnly.

Eris tilted her head, "Then why just one team? Wouldn't the others be in danger too?" she asked, remembering she was only ordered to protect a specific team.

Ozpin smiled gently, "Yes, dangers will be lurking for everybody and no team will be safe forever, but sometimes victory is in the simpler things that are long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul." explained Ozpin cryptically.

Eris stared blankly at him. "...Um, can you say that again? Preferably in english." asked Eris politely. Ozpin continued smiling warmly, "I think they are important." he said as simply as he could.

"How so?" asked Eris, moderately curious as to the reason. Ozpin hummed in thought, "I'm sure you're aware of Ms. Schnee's status as heiress, yes? She could change the face of her family's company, perhaps for the better. That could make her target for many people" explained Ozpin.

"And the others?" asked Eris.

"Ms. Belladonna was able to pass the entrance examine with exemplary marks, but she has no record before enrolling here. I don't pretend to know her motives, but I know she has a purpose." explained Ozpin

"And…"

"And of course there is young Ms. Rose and Ms. Xiao Long." He sipped from his coffee. "Their parents were in the same team here at Beacon years ago. They were one of the best teams to graduate." said Ozpin, the smile on his face becoming more genuine as if remembering the good ol' days.

"Unfortunately their mothers disappeared when they were young, but they have a strong resolve to do good. They want to change the world and protect those that cannot protect themselves." said Ozpin.

"Im noticing the plural." noted Eris when she heard 'mothers'

Ozpin looked at her with a neutral expression, "Yes, Ms. Xiao Long's mother left her father when she was born, seemingly disappearing overnight. Mr. Xiao Long became romantic with Ms. Rose's mom after she helped him get over the loss."

"Sounds like quite the lady killer." she commented idly.

"Yes, well, Ms. Rose's mom disappeared during a mission as well, presumed dead." said Ozpin with a hint of sorrow.

"..." Eris remained silent, contemplating this information.

Ozpin sipped from his mug, "Yet despite that, the girls still hold hope. Hope for a brighter future. A future where people don't have to be afraid to sleep at night." said Ozpin. "The kingdoms, Atlas in particular, raise armies to keep the world safe, but I think these 4 people can change the course of history better than any army." he finished.

"Sounds deep. So i'm guessing you have me here to make sure they don't die, right." Eris asked, trying to conclude this discussion before Ozpin tells another story. He shook his head, "That's not all, I have you here to make sure they don't lose their way. To keep them together. Their resolve is strong, but not unbreakable." he explained

Eris clenched her fists at this, not because it would be difficult to do, but because it was a reminder. A reminder that she was cursed.

She looked at Ozpin again, "And so I will." she said softly. Ozpin was slightly surprised by the sorrow in her voice, but put it aside for now.

"And I appreciate your cooperation." he thanked her. "Was there any other questions you may have?" he asked. Eris shook her head, "No, that pretty much covers everything." she said, turning to leave.

"Well then, I have a question for you." said Ozpin, causing Eris to stop, "And that would be…?" she asked, waiting for the question.

"What is your last name?" Ozpin asked curiously.

"...Really? That's it?" she asked, a bit surprised. Ozpin nodded. She was expecting some elaborate questions that would require a lot of truth-stretching and time.

"Its Rose." said Eris briskly, waiting for Ozpin's reaction.

He sipped his coffee and kept a stoic expression. "Hmm, is that so? Well then, perhaps you are better suited for this job than I thought." he said in his usual voice, filled with a tad of humor.

Eris watched him with interest. That was it? No surprise, no questions, just acceptance? 'This guy…' thought Eris as she tried to understand the headmaster, who just smiled warmly at her.

"That is all I had to ask you, have a good day Ms. Rose." he said dismissing Eris, who disappeared into the floor and moved away, leaving black rose petals that disintegrated into nothing. Ozpin stared at the spot his new employee inhabited a few seconds ago.

"It really is an interesting year." he mumbled to himself.

00000

 _She woke up to the sounds of birds chirping. The young girl hissed as she emerged from her cloak, the sunlight blinding her. She brought her small hands to her eyes and tried to rub the sleepiness away._

 _People were already milling about their daily work and chores. 'Must have slept in.' the girl thought, pushing herself onto her feet. Today, she was feeling lazy._

 _Stretching, she made her way down the road, adjusting the bow above her ear. It kept sliding down her hair. There were only a handful of people in the village, mostly middle-aged people and no children. She was unique for being the only person under 30 in the village._

 _Nothing much ever happened here. The grimm rarely attacked, but they were defeated swiftly, as they were usually beowolves, or an occasional ursa. The people here may be old, but they could fight.._

 _She tried to have them unlock her aura, like them, but even when they tried, they couldn't get it to work. Nobody knew why her aura wouldn't manifest._

 _The girl sighed, as she had nothing to do. She could always visit, as the people enjoyed her company, but she wasn't feeling docile today._

 _She was feeling adventurous._

 _She would leave the village occasionally, exploring the surrounding area and traveling to nearby towns and villages. She even found a hot-spring nearby that the villagers didn't even know about. She didn't tell them either._

 _It was her little secret._

 _There was always the chance of her getting attacked by grimm, but she learned how to avoid detection. She also knew to run rather than fight. That didn't mean she liked it. It made her feel useless._

 _The villagers always said she provided motivational support, keeping their spirits up so they don't attract grimm with their negative emotions. It was ego-boosting, but it still left her feeling disappointed with herself._

' _Maybe Gerard could give me a weapon!' she thought happily, remembering the blacksmith at the forge._

00000

The people of Vale were moving with a sense of urgency, excitement filling the air. Team REWBY took in the decorations used throughout the city in preparation.

"The Vytal Festival! Oh this is absolutely wonderful!" expressed Weiss with uncharacteristic excitement. Ruby gave her an uncertain look.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much Weiss." she admitted to the white-haired girl. "It's kinda weirding me out." she muttered, slightly cringing away from her

Weiss looked at her like she was crazy, "How could you NOT smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world!" she preached, "There will be dances, parades, a tournament!"

"Oh the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breathtaking." Weiss gushed, sounding incredibly sophisticated. Yang crossed her arms and sighed in disappointment.

"You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring." said Yang as Weiss turned her head to glare at her. "Quiet You." she said in a condescending manner befitting her title. "And you," she turned her gaze to Ruby, who gulped in fear.

"Get out here, that's not an appropriate way to travel." sheordered. Ruby's shadow twitched a bit before a Eris _rose_ (heh)from it. "Use your own two feet, you lazy bum." finished Weiss, facing forward.

"There's a lot of people here…" Eris murmured, shifting under her cloak. Yang smiled at her, "What? Afraid to show your pretty face?" she teased. Eris huffed, pulling her hood forward a bit more.

"Remind me why we're here again?" she mumbled, crinkling her nose irritably. Ruby mimicked her irritation, "Ugh, it smells like fish." she said disgustedly, pinching her nose. Weiss put her hands on her hips.

"I heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today. Aaand as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome tem to this fine kingdom." she explained. Eris watched her idly.

'That smile is fake' she thought.

It didn't fool Blake either. "She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament." she said simply.

"You can't prove that." Weiss snapped. Blake was about to proceed, but was interrupted by a "Woah" from Ruby. They turned to face the direction their leader was looking. Down the street, A building with broken windows was being investigated and taped off by the police.

Ruby walked up one of the officers, "What happened here?" she asked. The glasses-wearing detective turned to face her. "Robbery. Second dust shop to be hit this week." he said simply, before joining his comrade.

"That's terrible." stated Yang. Before any of them could comment further, they were distracted by what the investigators were saying.

"Who needs that much dust?"

"I dunno, ya know what I mean?"

"You thinking the, uh, White Fang?"

"Yaaa I'm thinking we don't get paid enough."

'I can relate to that.' thought Eris. They pay she got was puny, although it was a steady flow. She couldn't really complain though, as she didn't have to pay for anything at Beacon, thanks to Ozpin's good graces.

"Hmph. The White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates." stated Weiss with a hint of malice. Blake looked at her with slitted eyes-

'Wait, what?' Eris looked closely, but her pupils were just the normal circular shape.

"What's your problem?" Blake asked with masked harshness. The heiress turned to look at her. "My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane." she said casually, as if she was talking about the weather.

Blake gritted her teeth.

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths." she said with conviction, "They're a collection of misguided faunus."

"Misguided?" asked Weiss, "They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet!" she reasoned. Blake was undeterred. "So then their _very_ misguided. Besides, why would they rob a dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale?" Blake also reasoned.

Ruby stroked her chin in thought, "Hmm, Blake does have a point." she said to Weiss. "Besides," she continued, "the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago. Maybe it was him." she added her reasoning to the mix.

"My money's on the White Fang." said Eris softly. She saw first-hand their stockpile, so she knew who it was.

Both. But she couldn't just tell them about that.

Weiss crossed her arms. "See? At least someone here's making sense. Those faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal." she stated, putting her beliefs forth. Blake looked at them like they were traitors.

"..." Eris kept her thoughts quiet.

Yang tried to break the _ice_

"That's not necessarily true..." she tried to say before she was interrupted by yelling.

"HEY! Stop that faunus!"

They ran back to docks to see what the commotion was about. When they got their, they saw a monkey faunus hanging from a lamppost eating a banana. The two detectives from before also arrived.

"Get down from there this instant." one of them ordered, receiving a banana peel to the face. The faunus gave an evil laugh and made dash for the city.

"How odd that a faunus breaking the law shows up just as we were debating about the White Fang." Eris said to herself, her teammates looking at each other, also realizing the coincidence.

As the monkey faunus went up the stairs and passed team REWBY, he looked at Blake and gave her a shining wink.

Then he fell on his face.

He quickly got up and ran as the detectives were right on his heels, almost catching him that moment. Eris' teammates looked her.

"He was looking at you funny." she said softly, looking at Blake and pulling her foot back under her cloak. There was silence for a few moments.

"Well Weiss, you wanted to see the competition...there it goes." said Yang during the silence. Weiss snapped to attention.

"QUICK! We must observe him!" she shouted as she began to chase after the fleeing faunus. Eris didn't move. "You go on ahead. I'm heading back to beacon." she said softly as she began heading in a different direction.

She wasn't feeling the chase.

Ruby watched the black-cloaked girl go with concerned eyes, "Oh...okay, um, see around I guess…" she mumbled as she moved to catch up with Weiss and Yang, with Blake following suit.

00000

" _Why do you want a weapon?" asked Gerard, the blacksmith. The girl puffed her cheeks in annoyance._

" _I told you, I want to help." she said. The man rubbed his beard in thought. "But you're still young, and you're much too small to use weapons." he reasoned. The girl was not moved and was persistent._

" _Then I will use my fists." she said clenching her hands. The man sighed, "But you wouldn't hit hard enough to do any damage. Wait till you're older." he said exasperatedly._

 _The girl refused to accept this. Why won't he give her something? Fine! If he refused to do so, than she will make him. She was angry at having to do this, but she was left no choice. She took a deep breath looked at Gerard with big silvery orbs, her form becoming smaller._

" _Please Gerard, pretty please?" she asked as she went on her knees, giving him her best puppy eye stare. Gerard recoiled back slightly, surprised by the girl's sudden change in demeanor._

" _I-uh-well, uhm." he tried to say, but he couldn't form the words. He just stood there in his stupor as the girl's lower lip quivered, and she began to whimper. In all his years, Gerard had never seen such a sight, and he never expected this girl of all people to resort to such a tactic._

 _He couldn't fight against it._

" _Alright, alright, just_ please _stop doing that." he practically begged, submitting to her demand. The girl smiled triumphantly, shooting back onto her feet and hugging him tightly._

" _~Oh thank you-Thank you-Thank you!~" she said, tears in her eyes. The old blacksmith let a smile grace his lips at her antics._

 _Eris had a knack of worming her way into people's hearts_

00000

 **A bit confused? It's just some flashbacks.**

' **But Mr. Writer, their names aren't related to colors or anything.'**

 **I know, and there's a reason.**

 **I've been dropping some hints about this, and I want you to try and find out the reason.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Unraveled Part 1

 **Here you go, this took longer than I thought it would.**

 **Also, look closely at the silver eyes legend. There is particular phrase there that is important.**

 **I'm actually splitting this chapter into two because it was over 5000 words. You'll get part-2 next week-ish.**

 **Enjoy**

'WHY!' thought Eris angrily as she slammed her fist against the dorm door after she entered.

'Why now?' she asked herself as she slid down the door, landing softly on her knees. For the past years, she never had such a resurgence of memories. They occasionally showed up, but left soon after.

Why are they plaguing her now?

Eris took a shaky breath as she got off her knees. She hated this feeling of weakness. She hated her grief. She hated being here.

Not Beacon, not Vale, but Remnant. Why was she forced to be here?

That was a question she asked herself many times. She found some solace in her semblance, which allowed her to leave the world for as long as she wanted.

She spent a very long time there, but she never felt content. There was something she was missing, something she longed for.

She took off her cloak, tossing it to the side, and sluggishly walked to the window and, opening in, leaned out. It was a sunny day, the usual in Vale, and there was a slight breeze that gently blew against her hair.

She clenched her fists as tears threatened to escape her eyes. Her throat became constricted and scratchy as she held back sniffles.

00000

" _OWWW" Eris yelped as she cradled her injured hand. She had cut it while trying and failing to pick up a sword, accidently grabbing its blade. Gerard sighed and kneeled next to her, pulling out a strip of white cloth and tying it around her palm._

" _I told you, you're not old enough to use these kind of weapons. You'll have to use something smaller." he said gently, wiping a tear off her cheek. Eris managed to glare at him through her pain._

" _Like what?" she asked, choking back a whimper. He guided her to the back of the forge, "I knew you would eventually want to fight, you always got angry when we made you stay in the houses." Gerard told her, "I have a few weapon designs that might suit you better than an sword or spear."_

 _He pulled out a roll of paper and splayed it out on a table. The paper showed diagrams of different weapons. "None of the designs are madel, as I didn't expect you ask for a weapon so soon." he told Eris. "But since you are so adamant about this, I thought you should see if you like any of them."_

 _She looked at all of them closely, inspecting every detail. Most of them were daggers or knives, and were far more compatible with her small size._

 _However, none of them stood out to her. They all seemed...boring, for lack of a better word._

" _Are there anymore?" she asked politely. Gerard stroked his beard, "None of them tickle your fancy huh? Hmmm, unfortunately, those are all the designs I could make. Anything else is beyond my skill." he told her._

 _She sighed and slouched over the table. 'Why is this so hard?' she thought to herself. The old blacksmith watched her for a moment, before picking her up in his strong arms, despite her sudden cry of indignation._

" _Actually," he said, causing Eris to stop her flailing, "There is one more item that I have. It was left here a long time ago, back when my grandpappy ran this old joint." he told her while carrying her in his left arm._

" _Someone brought it to him for repair one day and never came back. The odd thing was that the weapons were in perfect condition. Not a scratch on 'em." he explained, using his free arm to grab a box in the corner._

" _Why didn't he come back?" Eris asked curiously. Gerard shook his head, "No idea, but it's been here ever since." he said, setting the box down, "I thought you might as well give it a try. It's not very useful just sitting here, collecting dust."_

" _What is it?" she asked with interest, wanting to know what kind of weapon it was. He set her down and opened the box. Eris watched him closely as he pulled out two dark blades._

 _They had an odd design, having a noticeable curve and black wrappings around the hilts. The end of the wrap dangled slightly off the hilt._

" _What kind of knives are those" she asked as the blacksmith picked up one of them and kneeled next to her. He held it by the blade, offering the hilt to her._

" _I don't rightfully know, but I have never seen any weapons quite like these. It's a wonder the guy left them here, they look expensive." he said as Eris fiddled with her grip. It was uncomfortable to hold. Gerard noticed this, and knew she was struggling._

" _The curve kinda throws off the balance of the weapon. I couldn't figure out the reason for it, but I never played with it too much. I would suggest-" he stopped himself as Eris turned the weapon into a reverse grip._

" _Woaaah, Its so cool!" she whispered in awe as she examined the weapon more. The blade itself didn't have any designs on it, and was pretty simplistic. But the way it seemed to move like an extension of her arm made Eris giggle in delight._

 _Gerard watched her play with the knife like a child with a new toy. Then again, she was a child with a new toy. He reached inside the box and pulled out two objects._

 _He then handed one to her, "These came with it too. They wrap around your arm and act as a sheath for them." he told her as she took it from him._

 _The sheath was bound in the same dark wrappings as the hilt of the knife. Eris put it on her arm and swung the wrappings around her arm and secured it. She slid the knife into the sheath, which was under her arm, and it popped in with a tiny click._

 _It looked like she had dark bandages on her arm, but the item felt near-weightless. She shook it a bit and smiled when it didn't even wobble. She turned to face the blacksmith._

" _I love it!" she chirped happily, causing the man to smile and ruffle her soft hair, causing it to spike slightly. "I thought you might. Make sure to take good care of it, and please don't hurt yourself." he chastised her as she nodded._

" _You could probably ask some of the folks here if they could teach you any techniques." he added, to which she hummed in thought._

" _I Don't need help." she said simply._

" _Alright kiddo, you're the boss." the blacksmith smirked at her._

00000

Eris could barely stop the tears as she silently grieved. Even after all this time it still hurts. Whoever said time healed all wounds didn't know what they were talking about. Time only makes it worse.

She pushed herself onto the window sill, and stuck her legs out. As she sat in the window, she idly debated why she even tries. She had nothing left, so what was the point in continuing? Wouldn't it be more reasonable to just stop?

Eris leaned on the side of the window as her slender legs dangled outside it as she quietly wept, not letting a single tear escape. She didn't know how long she sat like this, but the sun had already set some time ago. Her tears no longer threatened to break free, and now she just sat there, staring at the shattered moon with dull eyes.

She idly noticed the door open as her team arrived at their dorm.

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem." the ice queen stated starkly, causing the raven haired girl to retort. "That **is** the problem!" Blake snapped at Weiss, who sat on her bed.

"You realize you're defending an organization that hates humanity, don't you? The faunus of the White Fang are pure evil." She told Blake, who jumped to her feet.

"There is no such thing as 'pure evil'! Why do you think they hate humanity so much?" their moody teammate spoke harshly, "It's because people like Cardin, people like YOU that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"

Maybe she needed to take drastic measures.

"People like me?" Weiss asked cluelessly. Blake stared at her like she was an annoying brat

"You're discriminatory!"

"I'm a victim!"

There was a silence in the air at that statement, none of them noticing the small form in the window due to their attention being solely placed on Weiss.

"You want to know 'why' I despise the White Fang? 'Why' I don't particularly trust the faunus?" asked Weiss.

Would a fall from this high kill me?

Probably not.

"It's because they've been at war with my family for years." admitted Weiss sadly, "War. As in actual bloodshed."

Eris closed her eyes.

"Maybe If I were to go head first…" she murmured to herself, causing Weiss to jump in surprise.

"What the-? How long were you there? And what do you mean 'Maybe If I go head...first…" she trailed off as she noticed Eris' position in the window and facial expression.

The color drained from her face as realized the implications. "Oh my…" she whispered as she backed up slowly. Blake's eyes widened, but she remained where she was standing, to stunned to move.

Ruby didn't fully grasp what was happening and looked at Yang with a confused expression. Yang, for her part, looked like she was zoning out. A moment later, she snapped back to reality.

"Everybody. Out." she said sternly, pointing at the door. Nervously, her teammates left the room, with Ruby asking why as she was shooed out by Weiss.

Once they left, Yang slowly approached Eris. She wrapped her arms around her small frame and picked her up, easily carrying the maroon-haired girl.

Yang took her away from the window and sat down on one of the beds, still cradling the smaller girl. Eris curled up in Yang's arms, burying her face in her knees. They sat quietly like this, no words spoken, with Eris slightly shaking. Yang waited patiently.

"...Ruby and I grew up in Patch. An island just off the coast of Vale." Yang said quietly. "Our parents were huntsman. Our dad taught at signal, and our mom would take up missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose."

"And she was, like, super-mom. Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters." she said with a tad of nostalgia. "And then...one day she left for a mission and never came back."

"It was tough. Ruby was really torn up, but...I think she was still to young to really get what was going on, you know?"

There was a stretch of silence.

"And my dad just kinda...shut down. It wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't the first love he'd lost. She was the second. The first...was my mom"

Yang reached down and gently patted Eris' back. "I know when someone's depressed, Eris. I know what it looks like, and I know you're hurting bad." she told the girl in her arms.

"You don't have to bear it alone. We're here for you. Just tell us what's wrong." Yang gently encouraged.

Eris began trembling as tears began rolling down her face. Yang held her tenderly, much like she would with Ruby when she was sad. Eris sobbed quietly into her knees as Yang rubbed her side in a comforting manner.

"Why..." Eris quietly whispered between her cries of sorrow. "They...Everyone...I can't...Why..."

Her words were lost to despair as she broke down. Yang just held her like she was the most fragile thing in the world. Which she probably was. Eris had always a an air of mystery around her, but seeing her so vulnerable made her older sister instincts kick in.

"Sh, sh, It's ok." Yang said softly, hugging her close, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." She ran her fingers through Eris' soft maroon hair, trying to comfort her crying friend as best she could.

Eris looked up at Yang with scared eyes, her face resembling that of a lost child who was trying to find their mommy, "I don't know what to do…" she whispered softly, hiccuping with grief.

"Idon't know, I don't know, I don't know..."

"Shhh... you don't have to do anything." said Yang gently, "You're alright, It's all going to be ok."

Eris snuggled closer as she rested her head on Yang's shoulder. They sat there for what felt like hours, with Eris' shivers vanishing and her breathing returning to normal.

Eventually, her breathing became softer and her petite body went limp as she lost consciousness.

Yang smiled warmly at Eris' sleeping form, wiping away the tears and gently moving her body onto the bed she was sitting on.

She took a moment to observe Eris' casual outfit, having never seen past her cloak unless she was in uniform.

Her clothing was the same color as her cloak and hung loosely on her body, contrasting the rest of her team's form-fitting attire.

Yang also noticed a small black bow above her right ear and ran a finger along its silky surface before getting up.

She saw her black cloak nearby and grabbed it, and was surprised to find that it had the same soft, silky texture as her bow. It was also deceptively light for something so thick.

Yang was tempted to snuggle into the cloak's softness, but chose to return it to its owner, wrapping it around Eris like a blanket.

She had seen what so much sorrow can do to someone, having seen her dad give up for a time. She was determined to help Eris get through this as best she could.

She sat on the ground and leaned against the bed Eris was sleeping in, feeling mentally exhausted.

00000

"What do you mean?" asked Ruby confusedly as Weiss tried to explain the situation. Said heiress was currently rubbing her temples in both frustration and worry. Blake had been silently standing nearby, having watched the exchange for the past 20 minutes after Yang ordered them out

"Ruby, she was about to jump out the window." Weiss told her flat out, like she didn't believe it herself. Ruby just put a hand on her hip and tilted her head, "So? We jump out of windows all the time." she said as Weiss shook her head.

"No Ruby, that's not what I meant." she said, rubbing her temples harder than ever. She was trying to find the right words. "Look, she was, uh, not right in the head. She was, uhm she was-"

"She was considering killing herself" stated Blake, causing Weiss to wince as Ruby's eyes widen in surprise. "What!?" she quietly shrieked, "Why would she do that?"

Blake turned her gaze to the floor, "I have no idea." she admitted. Weiss was also uncertain to why their black-cloaked teammate suddenly became suicidal. If anything, she expected Blake to pull this kind of thing, not Eris.

Ruby turned heel, heading back to their dorm as Weiss yelled at her to stop. She couldn't, not while one of her teammates needed to be saved, even if it was from themselves. They had been in the library, but she made it to the dorm in no time with the help of her semblance.

She stopped and slowly opened the door.

She saw Yang on the floor, looking a bit tired, and Eris lying on the bed, wrapped in her cloak. Yang turned to her and raised her finger to her mouth, signaling her to be quiet. Ruby slowly made her way towards her sister and sat down next to her.

"What happened? Is Eris alright?" Ruby asked quietly, causing Yang to sigh.

"She's...having a rough time." she said, shaking her head wearily. Ruby gave her a look of concern, waiting for Yang to explain further.

"I don't know the reason why." said Yang honestly, "I didn't want to press her either."

After a moment, Ruby's eyes widened in realization, remembering their conversation a few nights ago.

00000

" _Didn't you have any friends to work with you?" asked Ruby, "Or family?"_

 _Eris shifted her gaze to the ceiling, her usually bright eyes seemingly dulling._

" _...Not for a long time."_

00000

Ruby sat there slack jawed, feeling incredibly awful for not acting sooner and allowing this happen. Maybe Weiss was right. Maybe she was a bad leader.

She buried her face in her hands and choked back her own sob, "I'm so _stupid_." she murmured into her hands, causing Yang to give her a puzzled look.

"What? Ruby, you're not stupid. Why would you say something like that?" her sister asked, concerned at Ruby's sudden outburst.

Ruby shook her head, her voice muffled by her hands, "I should have known something was wrong, I should have known…"

"How could you know anything was wrong?" Yang asked, feeling like she was missing something important. Ruby whimpered, "She looked so sad when I asked her about her family a while ago."

Yang's eyes widened, now having an idea as to why Eris was so shaken up. She herself had experienced something similar when Summer disappeared.

Ruby looked at her with a lost expression, "What do we do?" she asked, not knowing how to proceed.

Yang had a blank look before slightly grinning, "I think I know what we have to do."

Ruby was about to ask what, but was interrupted when the door crept open, revealing Weiss.

"We have a problem." she said venomously, her eyes burning at them

00000

 _In less than a year, Eris managed to not only match the villagers in combat, but surpass them. She learned a few tricks from fighting them, but she never specifically asked for help, instead just asking to spar._

 _She moved with such speed and precision that she could easily break through their guards and dodge their attacks._

 _An odd thing she discovered one day when she was training was that the blades she had were incredibly effective against someone's aura. She had asked Gerard about it, but he had no idea as to why it did that._

 _There was still a problem for her though, and that was her lack of aura. Even with her speed to compensate, her inability to summon her aura left her vulnerable._

 _Even a nick or a kick would hurt her. Try as hard as they might, neither the villagers nor Eris could make it work._

 _Not that it stopped her, but it was still worrisome for the village whenever she fought. If something were to attack and she couldn't dodge…_

 _The thought of little Eris being skewered scared them more than anything, however she proved that she could fight better than any of them._

 _The very rare times that she would take damage, her wounds healed quickly. It was then that they realized she did have her aura unlocked, but she could not use it as a defence._

 _With more practice, Eris learned how to use her aura to increase her strength and speed beyond what anyone else could do._

 _They couldn't figure out her semblance though. She wasn't very happy about it._

00000

Eris was awoken by the sound of voices around her. She lazily turned over, burying her face into the pillow.

The voices continued to be obnoxious and so she gave up on trying to sleep anymore. After a moment she put her hands on the bed and hoisted herself up.

She sat on her knees and yawned, stretching her arms and arching her back. She slowly rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes and pushed back the loose strands of hair in her face.

Then a red blur slammed into her.

"I'm so glad you're okay~" the trembling voice of Ruby spoke to her as she wrapped her up in a hug. Eris was a bit stunned and just sat there with a confused expression until the memories of the previous night flooded back to her.

She slacked slightly and hesitantly wrapped her arms around Ruby.

"Sorry." Eris mumbled timidly, resting her chin on Ruby's shoulder.

"No, I'm sorry I didn't help you sooner, I should have known" said Ruby, breaking off their embrace, grabbing her hands, and looking Eris in the eyes, silver meeting silver.

"But just know that we will always be here for you. I told you before, we care a lot about you. So please don't try to... to kill yourself, ok?"

Eris didn't know how to respond. Ruby and Yang have showed her nothing but kindness and empathy. They haven't even known her for a year and already care for her in a way only her home had.

She nodded her head as her eyes welled up in tears and she pulled Ruby back into a hug, only this time the tears weren't of sorrow or grief.

They were tears of joy.

"Thank you..." whispered Eris through happiness she had long forgotten, "Thank you..."

Ruby also began to cry in joy, the two flowers holding each other as they shared their delight. Yang felt her heart melt at the sight.

"Awww you guys~" she said as she rushed towards them, embracing both of them in a hug and joining in their crying.

Weiss couldn't help but smile at the trio. She had never seen something so heart-warming and touching before in her life.

She felt a bit of jealousy at them for being able to experience something like this. She only wished her father could be more like them.

00000

 _It was by complete accident that Eris discovered her semblance._

 _And, to the misfortune of the villagers, it made her incredibly sneaky. She got a kick out of startling and pranking the villagers by popping out of the floor in front of them, or sliding into their house and taking things._

 _It started when she lost her cloak. She was never separated from it, except when it was being cleaned. Then one day she couldn't find it, and had no idea how she lost it. She bounced around the village rapidly, asking anyone if they had seen it._

 _After a couple of hours she became unstable, hiding in a tree and refusing to eat or come down._

 _When they tried to get her down, she kicked at them, which was augmented by her aura, leaving a couple of bruises on whoever came close._

 _Eventually, they managed to forcefully get her down, ignoring her cries of protest._

 _They had no idea that she had a fear of crowds._

 _As soon as they got her down, she looked at the assembled villagers in horror, the color draining from her pale face as she realized all eyes were on her._

 _She fell on her bottom, her legs becoming to weak to support her._

 _Some started to move towards her and she freaked out. Suddenly, as if she sunk into the ground, she disappeared._

 _The villagers looked around in confusion, not knowing what happened to the only child in the village._

 _Eris didn't show until a few minutes later, having found her cloak. When she was asked about her disappearance, she said she panicked, got scared, and 'really just wanted to disappear.'_

 _They didn't realize she was being literal until she showed them, at which point they discovered it was her semblance._

 _She was overjoyed to finally have figure it out and expressed this by pranking every single villager through various means._

 _She spent long hours playing with it and unraveling its powers, yet never fully understanding it. She also learned she could heal faster and ease pain by being submerged._

 _With her lack of defence, this proved incredibly useful for her._

 _If she stubbed her toe (she adamantly refused to wear shoes) on something or was hurt by anything, she just used her semblance to remove the pain and to help heal the wounds._

 _Although the village was happy for her and her accomplishments, there was a sense of unease in the air._

 _The tension between the kingdoms was rising and violence might break out in Mistral soon. People were preparing for the worst._

 _It was the calm before the storm._

 **That was a bit emotional wasn't it? I hope I executed that alright.**

 **It took a lot of revisions before I was comfortable with this one, but I think it turned out ok. I thought Yang would know what to do in this situation.**

 **Now, what problem does Weiss have :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Unraveled Part 2

 **Ok, this is the last chapter of volume 1 for real.**

 **Also, colds suck :(**

 **Sorry for late update**

 **Enjoy**

"She's been gone all weekend." said Ruby, looking at the ground gloomily.

After their heart-warming tear fest, Weiss explained to the rest of her team that Blake may possibly actually maybe be part of the White Fang. They also managed to convince Eris not to have her hood up, and she begrudgingly agreed.

"Blake's a big girl, I'm sure she can handle herself." huffed Weiss in an annoyed tone, obviously unconcerned at finding their friend. "Weiss, she's one of our teammates…" replied Yang with minor disappointment.

"Is she? We all heard what she said." Weiss reasoned, trying to gain their support. "Weiss." Ruby said sharply through clenched teeth, glancing back at her white haired teammate.

"She must have been peeved" commented Eris, "What exactly did you say her?" she asked as Weiss put her hand on her chin in sarcastic thought.

"Hmm, something about the faunus of the White Fang being nothing but scoundrels, thieves, and murderers. Which they are." she said faithfully.

Eris hummed in acknowledgment.

"We can't even be sure if she's our teammate or a spy." continued Weiss, feigning binoculars with her hands.

Yang shook her head, "Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. Either way, she's missing and we need to find her." she enforced, not letting Weiss' negativity drive them down..

"A member of the White Fang. Right underneath our noses!" said Weiss like she just found a rat infestation.

"I just hope she's ok." said Ruby with a downcast expression. She was afraid Blake might be danger just like Eris was. If something happened to Blake she could never forgive herself.

"Weiss," said Yang exasperatedly, "I think we should hear her side of the story first."

Weiss raised her chin, "I think when we hear it, you'll all realize I was right.

"And I think Weiss' hair looks wonderful today."

The first-year team jumped back in surprise, "Agh! Penny where did you come from?!" Ruby screeched, surprised by Penny's sudden intrusion.

Penny was a girl they met while chasing the monkey faunus when Weiss smacked into her. She was also competing in the Vytal Festival tournament.

Penny just smiled and raised her hand, "Hey guys. What are you up to?" she asked curiously. "Uhh..." Ruby stalled lamely.

"We're looking for our friend Blake" supplied Yang, failing to notice her sister's hesitation. "Oooh!" exclaimed Penny, "You mean the faunus girl!"

Everyone stared at her blankly. "Wait," said Ruby with scrutiny, "How did you know that?" she asked. "Uh, the cat ears?" explained Penny, pointing to the top of her head.

"What cat ears?" asked Yang obliviously, "She wears a bow." she said, causing them to pause and think about that statement.

"...she does like tuna a lot." whispered Ruby.

"So, where is she?" asked Penny, noticing Blake's absence. Ruby shook her head, "We don't know. She's been missing since Friday."

Penny rushed to Ruby with startling speed, "That's terrible!" she exclaimed, firmly gripping Ruby's arms. "Well don't you worry Ruby, my friend!" Penny continued, "I won't rest until we find your teammate."

"Ah, t-that's really nice of you Penny, uh, but We're okay. Right guys?" Ruby asked looking at her teammates, however the only person there was Eris, giving a sly grin.

"Uhg." Ruby groaned. Before she could say anything more, Penny moved in front of Eris. "Salutations! My name is Penny. I don't think I've met you before." she greeted, extending her hand.

"Eris." she nodded politely, extending her own hand. Penny stared at for a moment, squinting her eyes slightly. "Are you two sisters?" she asked after a moment.

"What? No, no we're not sister or anything." answered Ruby, caught off-guard by the question.

Eris' similarities kinda confused her, and she didn't know if they were related or not.

They had their differences, but they also shared some of the same traits, like shortness, pale skin, silver eyes, reddish hair, and a small frame. They both had round faces as well, but Eris' features were a bit sharper. How old was she?

"Oh, ok." said Penny with acceptance, still staring at Eris. "Are you alright?" she asked suddenly, squeezing her arms and causing Eris to jump slightly.

"Hmm" she inquired, humming in her usual manner. "You show signs of immense distress, and your blood pressure is very high." Penny explained, stepping back. Ruby looked at both of them in suspense.

Penny seemed to know everything.

"I'm just worried for my teammate." Eris said smoothly after her initial surprise. It technically wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either.

"Well don't you worry, I will help you find your teammate." said Penny again resolutely with her hands on her sides.

Eris merely nodded while Ruby half-heartedly cheered. They began at a moderate pace, searching for any signs that their feline friend may have left. They searched for hours , but nothing turned up.

"Blake is very good at not being found when she doesn't want to be." said Eris softly, noting their lack of progress.

"She does seem to be stealthy." added Penny, looking around. Ruby groaned hopelessly, "Oooh, where could she be?" she asked herself.

"..." Eris thought silently for a moment before coming to a conclusion, one that she could have done sooner.

"Give me a moment to locate her." she explained briefly before sinking into the ground and creating a shadowy blotch that disappeared over time.

"Oo, Is that her semblance?" asked Penny, intrigued by the anomaly. Ruby shrugged, "Yeah, It's kinda freaky. She pops up out of no-where and hides in your shadow." she explained to the green eyed girl.

"What is she doing?" she asked curiously, staring at the spot where Eris disappeared. "She going to try to find Blake." said Ruby, already knowing the reason.

Eris told them she could find someone by sensing them if she used her semblance. She said it took a few minutes, but she would eventually find them. That's what she was doing right now.

Abruptly, Eris popped out of the ground, far sooner than expected. "That was-

 _ **BOOM**_

Ruby was cut off when an explosion resounded through the air as Eris turned her head. Ruby and Penny followed her gaze and noticed a plume of smoke, nearly invisible in the night sky.

"She's over there." said Eris in an anxious tone, "We should hurry."

"Oh no…" muttered Ruby in concern as they all began making a bee-line for the docks, which the smoke seemed to originate from.

00000

They heard the sound of fighting before they saw it, with the sound of multiple gunshots informing them of the hostile environment. When they reached the area, Eris was only slightly surprised to see Roman Torchwick, along with White Fang goons.

'Of course he would be here.' she thought as she pulled her hood up. No doubt this would get messy.

"HEY!" shouted Ruby from beside her, activating her scythe (Which was also a gun) and planting it into the ground.

"Oh hello Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?" Torchwick mocked from his lower position, before looking past her at Eris. "Oh for- _Black_ is here too? You all seem to come out of the wood-works like rodents!" he shouted with distaste.

Ruby turned to look at Eris, "You know him?" she asked. Roman smirked, raised his cane, and shot a projectile at Ruby while she wasn't looking.

"I kicked him in the face." she responded as she tackled Ruby out of harm's way. "Guess he's still a bit salty." she said as they picked themselves up.

Knives slid into her hands as Eris prepared for combat, her senses coming to full alert. She paused as Penny strode alongside her.

"Wait Guys! What are you doing?!" Ruby asked fearfully, not wanting her friend and teammate to get hurt. Eris glanced at Penny, "Can you fight?" she asked simply. Penny grinned, multiple swords surrounding her body.

"I'm combat ready."

They jumped onto the ground below, Penny taking out several White Fang as she landed. She then proceeded to clear the area of any and all enemies, using her swords to counter and demolish clusters of them.

Eris was a bit less destructive, as she turned into a shadow and sped deeper into enemy lines, leaving a trail of black rose petals behind her.

Some of the more perceptive faunus tried to shoot her, but their bullets could not harm her since she wasn't actually there. She had a more important goal to achieve right now.

Objective: Ensure Blake's safety.

It was a good thing too, because Blake was currently engaged with multiple White Fang grunts, breathing heavily.

'She must have been fighting for some time before our arrival.' Eris deduced, quickly dispatching the targets before they realized she was there. If Blake was surprised to see her, she didn't show it.

"..." They stared at each other for a moment, silently contemplating the other's dilemma.

"You're still alive." Blake noted.

"You're still on our side." Eris noted.

They stared at each other for a moment longer before turning their gaze to the sky, where bullheads were currently approaching them, guns blazing.

Blake moved out of the way as the bullets reached her, taking cover behind a Schnee dust crate. Eris' eyes glowed slightly as she rolled her wrists. When the rain of bullets reached her she dodged or deflected any that would have harmed her. .

She bolted onto the crates, using them as a ladder to gain height. If they get close enough she could do some serious damage to their engines, it would just require the right timing. Bullheads are heavily armored and can be difficult to take down.

So she was surprised when a laser tore through two out of the three bullheads.

'Wow…' thought Eris, noticing how the laser cleanly cut through the metal. She saw Penny waving at her from the ground.

"Show off." she muttered, searching for a new target. The White Fang seemed to have pulled out, as the only ones present on the ground were unconscious. She idly noticed Penny bring down another bullhead with sheer strength.

Finally, she spotted Roman about to make an escape. She hopped down and ran towards him, readying her blades. He seemed to have noticed her as well, as he began blasting at the ground near her.

Eris maneuvered around the shots with practised ease, twisting around the more direct ones while completely dodging the explosions near her, all without breaking stride. Soon they were within melee distance of each other.

Roman attempted to strike her and she moved around it. She feinted an attack on his legs, then as he tried to block the false attack she kicked him the face, mimicking their original encounter.

He was sent tumbling backwards from the blow, but remained on his feet. Penny strode up beside her, prompting Roman to retreat into a nearby bullhead.

"These kids just keep getting weirder…" he muttered as he signalled the pilot to take off. Penny made to attack, but Eris held her back with her arm.

"Not worth it." she said as she turned around and began heading back to her team, letting Roman escape. Penny watched the bullhead disappear into the sky for a brief moment before sidling alongside her.

"That went rather well, didn't it? We found your teammate too." Penny said happily, a smile on her

Face. Eris hummed in agreement.

The police were already arriving at the scene as they got back. Ruby saw them and waved them over. Blake was also there, along with the monkey faunus from a few days ago.

And Blake had cat ears.

Eris stared at them even as Blake explained herself to Ruby. She explained how she was no longer with the White Fang, and that she left because she didn't want to use her skills for a violent cause.

Apparently Blake noticed her staring and glared at her, "Stop staring." she ordered irritably.

"Can I pet them?"

Blake gave her a surprised look, "What?" she asked confusedly. Eris continued to stare at her ears.

"Your cat ears, can I pet them?" she asked again, fidgeting slightly. "Uhh...sure?" Blake replied uncertainly, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

Eris walked closer to her and tentatively reached up, as she was shorter than Blake. Her finger gently caressed the back of her left ear, causing Blake to close her eyes.

Eris continued to stroke the soft fur on her ears in an almost trance-like state. Eventually, Blake began emitting a low rumbling noise. Ruby gave her an unnoticed look as Eris removed her hand and it returned to her side.

"Thank you." Eris said politely, bowing her head slightly. "...no problem." murmured Blake, subconsciously rubbing her ear.

"Well, that was kinda weird." commented Ruby.

Eris hummed and shrugged her shoulders, "Sorry, couldn't resist." she said softly, pulling her cloak snugly around herself. Before anything more could be said, a chill was felt in the air.

It didn't take a genius to know the cause, considering it was walking towards them in pure white clothing.

Ruby immediately jumped toward Weiss, "Look-Weiss-it's-not-what-you-think-she-explained-the-whole-thing-you-see-she-doesn't-actually-wear-a-bow-she-has-kitty-ears-and-they're-actually-kind-of-cute." she explained quickly as Weiss ignored her and proceeded towards Blake.

They stared each other down for a moment, before Blake broke the silence.

"Weiss, I want you to know I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when-"

"Stop" said Weiss sternly, halting Blake's words. "Do you have any idea how long we have been looking for you?" she asked rhetorically.

"Twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this, and in those twelve hours i've decided…"

"I don't care." said Weiss, surprising those present.

"You don't care?" echoed Blake, not understanding her teammates reasoning. Why would Weiss just not care? She hates the white Fang.

"You said your not one of them anymore, right?" asked Weiss.

"N-no," answered Blake shaking her head, "I haven't been since I was younger-"

"UPupupupup! I don't want to hear it." interrupted Weiss, raising a hand to Blake's face. "All I want to know, is the next time something this big comes up, you come to your teammates." ordered Weiss , gesturing to her team.

"And not some…" she began, looking at the monkey faunus, "...someone else."

Blake looked at her teammates, each one giving her a caring look (or in Eris' case a sly grin), and rubbed her eyes, which were quickly becoming a bit damp. She turned back to Weiss and nodded.

"Of course." she said with assurance, causing Weiss to smile slightly.

"Yeah! Team REWBY is back together!" Ruby cheered, abruptly shattering the serene moment, but nobody really cared.

"I'm still not sure how I feel about you!" Weiss said accusingly, pointing a finger at the monkey faunus, who laughed nervously under the heiress' icy glare.

"And you come to your teammates too." she said, turning to Eris. She didn't respond and just tugged her hood further over her face with a low hum. Ruby felt a pang of worry, but didn't say anything. She also noticed someone missing.

"Wait, where's Penny?" she asked no-one in particular.

"She left when Weiss showed up." answered Eris softly.

"Oh." replied ruby, "Well, let's get back to the school. I could go for some sleep." she muttered the last part. The rest of her team mumbled in agreement, forming up next to their leader. Eris sunk into the shadows and merged with Ruby's as they made their way back to the dorm.

00000

" _It must be balanced between hardness, strength, flexibility, and balance." Gerard's words echoed in her head as she placed the glowing sword in a cooling vat, "If these criteria are not met, then it will be near useless."_

 _After familiarizing herself with her new weapons, Eris was intrigued by them and wanted to see how different weapons were made._

 _He may have been a bit hesitant giving her a weapon, but he had no problems with teaching her how to create and maintain them._

 _That is what she had been doing for almost the past year, and to his surprise Eris had a natural talent for smithing. It was a bit funny to watch her fail at the beginning, making swords that bent at odd angles or shattered completely, but she quickly achieved proficiency in the art._

 _She got to the point where she could almost rival Gerard's talent._

 _Almost._

 _She could make an assortment of weapons and armor, but his were always a bit higher quality. He told her that her quality will improve with more practice and experience, and that they will get better over time. There was something he wasn't sure about though._

 _He didn't understand how her hands remained so soft after a year of smithing. They should have been calloused or hardened, but they remained smooth._

 _Perhaps it was because of her age. After all, not many blacksmiths are younger than 13 winters. A more plausible solution was Eris' semblance restoring them every time she used it._

 _Regardless of the reason, she could wield the tools with ease, and use them to create marvelous things._

 _Lately, she had been practising with merging different metals and combining two swords into one. Gerard told her it was important to be versatile and that her skill was too limited, so she shifted her focus to that._

 _She pulled the sword out of the vat with a hiss and admired the blade. It was nothing special, but it didn't break when it was removed, so that meant she didn't mess up yet._

 _She smirked and wiped the sweat off her brow before continuing her work. It would need be reheated again so she could fold another metal into it. She still remembered Gerard's most important lesson._

" _You'll go to hell for hitting cold steel."_

00000

'Vrrrrrrp, Vrrrrrp'

Taiyang grabbed for his scroll, which was currently vibrating in his pocket, and brought it out. It was almost midnight and he would love to embrace his bed, but he had to answer this call first.

One does not simply ignore the headmaster.

"Hey Oz, it's been a while. You know it's almost twelve, right?" the father of Yang and Ruby spoke into the scroll with humor.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, I know you would love nothing more than to sleep, but if you would be so kind as to answer a question I have..." asked the stoic headmaster in a polite tone.

"Alright, so what's on your mind?" Taiyang asked, eager to end the call and go to bed.

"This may seem like a strange question, but do you know if Summer Rose had any other relatives she may have mentioned to you?" Ozpin asked, greatly confusing the blond man.

"What? No, she never said anything about any family members. Why do you ask?" Taiyang responded, wanting to know the reason behind such an odd question.

There was no response for a moment, "Is that so? Well, thank you for your time." Ozpin replied, abruptly ending the call. Taiyang stared at the scroll for a bit.

"Other relatives…" he mumbled to himself. Of course Summer had relatives, she had to have, everybody did. But she never talked about them or mentioned them ever. Was Ozpin looking for one?

00000

"And then Penny shot a huge laser and cut the bullheads into two!" said Ruby excitedly, "It was so cool!"

As soon as they got back, Ruby explained to Weiss and Yang what happened before they arrived. Eris chose this time to inspect her weapons for damage.

They have never gained any scratches before, but to was still a good habit to have. It would be embarrassing if her weapons failed because she didn't see any damage sooner.

As expected, the blades were still in pristine condition. Whoever crafted them was a master at smithing, and used a material she was not familiar with. She decided to call the strange metal Ebony, due to its dark tint.

"And then you showed up and everything was good because Weiss wasn't mad at Blake and team REWBY got back together." finished Ruby, dazzling her hands for effect.

"And then the team went to bed. The end." said Weiss, ready to sleep after twelve hours of searching.

"And then the team went to bed." echoed Ruby hopping up to her bed, "That's an ending I like."

"Ditto." agreed her sister Yang, moving to her own bed. Blake followed suit, pulling out her book. Eris climbed up to her bed with minimal effort and curled up in her cloak. Despite its silky texture, it had very good insulation.

With a content sigh, she let herself enjoy some well-earned sleep, passing into dreamland.

00000

" _Why can't I visit the other villages? Did I do something wrong?" Eris asked Gerard worriedly. The old blacksmith shook his head, "No, nothing like that. You didn't do anything. It's just not safe anymore."_

" _What do you mean? Is there to many grimm, or bandits?" she asked confusedly. Gerard shook his head, "No, neither of those. It's… more complicated than that."_

" _Just please don't leave the village." he begged, surprising her with his tone. She just raised her hands, "Ok, ok, I won't." she said quickly, "But why? What is complicated about it?" she asked, not liking being kept in the dark._

 _Gerard sighed and gave her a look that made him look even older than usual._

" _The kingdoms are not the greatest of friends at the moment, and they might be sending their armies soon. I don't want you to accidentally stumble upon them. It's safer here." he tried to explain._

 _Eris just looked at him with her silver eyes in contemplation, "We'll be fine though, right?" she asked. Gerard slowly nodded._

" _Of course. We're safe here. They won't come this way, if they come at all." he promised her._

 _He wouldn't want her worrying._

 **And done. Bet you weren't expecting Eris to be good at smithing did ya?**

 **Its one of her charms, but enough about that.**

 **This marks the end of the first volume, so this story will be put on temporary hiatus. I'm going to take a break from it.**

 **There will eventually be a interlude chapter coming out, but no promises as to when it's coming.**


End file.
